IRLF 


SB    33 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


••i 

Edward  Axtell 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

AND  ALL  ABOUT  IT. 

A  PRACTICAL,  SCIENTIFIC, 

AND 

UP  TO  DATE  GUIDE 
TO  THE  BREEDING 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  DOG 


BY 

EDWARD  [AXTELL 

Proprietor  St.  Botolph  Kennels,  Cliftondale,  Ma...,  U.S.A. 

ASSOCIATE  MEMBER 
AMERICAN  KENNEL  CLUB 

MEMBER  OF 
THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  CLUB 

For  Twelve  Years 

THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  CLUB  OF  NEW   YORK 


Published  by 

lj>)(0) 

BATTLE  CREEK    MICH. 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY  DOGDOM  PUBLISHING  Co. 
BATTLE  CREEK,  MICHIGAN 


FIFTH  EDITION 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

The  Boston  Terrier ~ 5 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Boston  Terrier  Club;  Its  History;  The  Order 
of  Business;  Constitution,  By-Laws  and  Official 
Standard  14 

The  Revised  Boston  Terrier  Standard 24 

CHAPTER  III. 
Kenneling  „ 31 

CHAPTER  IV. 
General  Hints  On  Breeding 37 

CHAPTER  V. 
Rearing  Of  Puppies  56 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Breeding  For  Size 68 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Breeding  For  Good  Disposition 73 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Breeding  For  a  Vigorous  Constitution 81 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Breeding  For  Color  and  Markings 94 

CHAPTER  X. 
Sales  110 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Boston  Terrier  Type  and  the  Standard 125 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Picture  Taking 133 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Notes 138 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Conclusion 145 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Technical  Terms  Used  In  Relation  To  the  Boston 
Terrier,  and  Their  Meaning 147 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Edward  Axtell  ~ Frontispiece 

OPPOSITE  PAGE 

Franz  J.  Heilborn  8 

Heilborn's   Raffles 8 

Edward  Burnett,   a  Prominent  Early  Breeder 9 

Barnard's  Tom  12 

Hall's  Max  12 

Champion  Halloo  Prince  13 

Bixby's  Tony  Boy  .. 13 

J.  P.  Barnard,  the  Father  of  the  Boston  Terrier 28 

Champion   Sonnie  Punch  29 

Rockydale  Junior  29 

Edward  Axtell,  Jr.,  and  One  of  His  Boston  Terriers  44 

E.  S.  Pollard,  A  Large  and  Successful  Breeder 45 

St.  Botolph's  Mistress  King  45 

Champion  Yankee  Doodle  Pride 60 

Champion  Dallen's  Spider  60 

Champion    Mister    Jack 61 

Champion  Caddy  Belle _ 61 

Prince  Lutana  72 

Champion  Fosco 72 

"Pop"  Benson  with  Bunny  II 73 

Sir  Barney  Blue 73 

Champion  Lady  Dainty 80 

Champion  Todd  Boy 81 

Champion  Willowbrook  Glory 88 

Squantum    Punch    88 

Tony  Ringmaster  89 

Goode's  Buster  92 

Champion  Whisper 92 

Champion  Druid  Vixen 93 

Champion   Remlik   Bonnie 93 

Champion  Boylston  Reina  108 

Champion  Roxie  108 

Peter's  Little  Boy  and  Ch.  Trimont  Roman 109 

Champion  Lord  Derby „ 109 

Gordon    Boy,    Gretchen,    Derby's    Buster,    Tommy 

Tucker,  Ch.  Lord  Derby. 124 

Gordon  Boy  125 

Champion  Dean's  Lady  Luana : 140 

Mrs.  William  Kuback,  with  Ch.  Lady  Sensation 141 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER. 


Who  and  what  is  this  little  dog  that  has 
forced  his  way  by  leaps  and  bounds  from  Bos- 
ton town  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  this  grand 
country,  from  the  broad  Atlantic  to  the  Golden 
Gate,  and  from  the  Canadian  border  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico?  Nay,  not  content  with  this,  but  has 
overrun  the  imaginary  borders  north  and  south 
until  he  is  fast  becoming  as  great  a  favorite  on 
the  other  side  as  here,  and  who  promises  in  the 
near  future,  unless  all  signs  fail,  to  cross  all 
oceans,  and  extend  his  conquests  wherever  man 
is  found  that  can  appreciate  beauty  and  fidelity 
in  man's  best  friend.  What  passports  does  he 
present  that  he  should  be  entitled  to  the  recogni- 
tion that  he  has  everywhere  accorded  him?  A 
dog  that  has  in  35  years  or  less  so  thoroughly 
established  himself  in  the  affections  of  the  great 
body  of  the  American  people,  so  that  his  friends 
offer  no  apology  whatever  in  calling  him  the 
American  dog,  must  possess  peculiar  qualities 
that  endear  him  to  all  classes  and  conditions  of 
men,  and  I  firmly  believe  that  when  all  the  fads 


6  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

for  which  his  native  city  is  so  well  known  have 
died  a  natural  death,  he  will  be  in  the  early  bloom 
of  youth.  Yea,  in  the  illimitable  future,  when 
the  historian  McCauley's  New  Zealander  is  la- 
menting over  the  ruins  of  that  marvelous  city 
of  London,  he  will  be  accompanied  by  a  Boston 
terrier,  who  will  doubtless  be  intelligent  enough 
to  share  his  grief.  In  reply  to  the  query  as  to 
who  and  what  he  is,  it  will  be  readily  recalled 
that  on  the  birth  of  possibly  the  greatest  poet 
the  world  has  ever  seen  it  was  stated : 

"The  force  of  nature  could  no  further  go, 
To  make  a  third,  she  joined  the  other  two." 
And  this  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  produc- 
tion of  the  Boston  terrier.  The  two  old  stand- 
ard breeds  of  world-wide  reputation,  the  English 
bulldog  and  the  bull  terrier,  had  to  be  joined  to 
make  a  third  which  we  believe  to  be  the  peer  of 
either,  and  the  superior  of  both.  The  dog  thus 
evolved  possesses  a  type  and  individuality  strictly 
his  own,  inherited  from  both  sides  of  the  house, 
and  is  a  happy  medium  between  these  two  grand 
breeds,  possessing  the  best  qualities  of  each.  To 
some  the  name  "terrier"  would  suggest  the  form- 
ation of  the  dog  on  approximate  terrier  lines, 
but  this  is  as  completely  erroneous  as  to  imag- 
ine that  the  dog  should  approach  in  like  propor- 
tion to  the  bull  type.  When  the  dog  was  in  its 
infancy  it  was  frequently  called  the  Boston  bull, 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  7 

and  then  again  the  round-headed  bull  and  ter- 
rier, and  later,  when  the  Boston  Terrier  Club 
was  taken  under  the  wings  of  the  great  A.  K.  C. 
in  1893,  it  became  officially  known  as  the  Boston 
terrier. 

There  are  several  features  that  are  character- 
istic of  the  dog  that  tend  to  its  universal  popu- 
larity— its  attractive  shape,  style  and  size,  its 
winning  disposition,  and  its  beautiful  color  and 
markings.  From  the  bulldog  he  inherits  a  sweet, 
charming  personality,  quiet,  restful  demeanor, 
and  an  intense  love  of  his  master  and  home.  He 
does  not  possess  the  restless,  roving  disposition 
which  characterizes  so  many  members  of  the 
terrier  tribe,  nor  will  he  be  found  quarreling 
with  other  dogs.  From  the  bull  terrier  side  he 
inherits  a  lively  mood,  the  quality  of  taking  care 
of  himself  if  attacked  by  another  dog,  and  of 
his  owner,  too,  if  necessary,  the  propensity  to 
be  a  great  destroyer  of  all  kinds  of  vermin  if 
properly  trained,  and  an  ideal  watch  dog  at 
night.  No  wonder  he  is  popular,  he  deserves 
to  be.  The  standard  describes  him  as  fol- 
lows: 

"The  general  appearance  of  the  Boston  terrier 
is  that  of  a  smooth,  short-coated,  compactly  built 
dog  of  medium  station.  The  head  should  indi- 
cate a  high  degree  of  intelligence  and  should  be 
in  proportion  to  the  dog's  size;  the  body  rather 


8  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

short  and  well  knit,  the  limbs  strong  and  finely 
turned,  no  feature  being  so  prominent  that  the 
dog  appears  badly  proportioned.  The  dog  con- 
veys an  impression  of  determination,  strength 
and  activity,  style  of  a  high  order  and  carriage 
easy  and  graceful." 

The  men  composing  the  Boston  Terrier  Club, 
who  framed  this  standard  in  1900,  were  as 
thoughtful  a  body  as  could  possibly  be  gotten 
together,  and  they  carefully  considered  and  de- 
liberated over  every  point  at  issue,  and  in  my 
estimation  this  standard  is  as  near  perfect  as  any 
can  be.  I  was  an  interested  participant  in  the 
discussion  of  the  same,  having  in  my  mind's  eye 
as  models  those  two  noted  dogs  owned  by  that 
wonderful  judge  of  the  breed,  Mr.  Alex.  Goode, 
Champion  Monte,  and  his  illustrious  sire,  Buster. 
If  one  takes  the  pains  to  analyze  the  standard  he 
will  be  impressed  by  the  perfect  co-relation  of 
harmony  of  all  parts  of  the  dog,  from  the  tip 
of  his  broad,  even  muzzle,  to  the  end  of  his  short 
screw  tail.  Nothing  incongruous  in  its  makeup 
presents  itself,  but  a  graceful,  symmetrical  style 
characterizes  the  dog,  and  I  firmly  believe  that 
any  change  whatever  would  be  a  detriment. 

It  seems  to  be  hardly  necessary  at  this  late 
date  to  give  a  history  of  the  dog,  but  perhaps 
for  that  large  number  of  people  who  are  intensely 
interested  in  him  but  have  not  had  the  chance 


Franz  J.  Heilborn 


Heilborn's  Raffles 


Edward  Burnett 
A  Prominent  Early  Breeder 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  9 

to  have  been  made  acquainted  with  his  origin, 
a  brief  survey  may  be  of  service.  Although  Bos- 
ton rightly  claims  the  honor  of  being  the  birth- 
place of  the  Boston  terrier,  still  I  think  the 
original  start  of  the  dog  was  in  England,  for  the 
first  dog  that  was  destined  to  be  the  ancestor 
of  the  modern  Boston  terrier  was  a  dog  named 
Judge,  a  cross  between  an  English  bull  and  bull 
terrier,  imported  from  the  other  side  and  owned 
by  Mr.  R.  C.  Hooper,  and  known  as  Hooper's 
Judge. 

On  my  last  visit  to  England  I  found  that  quite 
a  number  of  dogs  have  been  bred  in  this  way, 
viz.,  a  first  cross  between  the  bull  and  terrier, 
especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  Birmingham 
in  the  middle  of  England;  but  these  dogs  are 
no  more  like  the  Boston  terrier  than  an  ass  is 
like  a  thoroughbred  horse.  Judge  was  a  dark 
brindle,  with  a  white  stripe  in  face,  nearly  even 
mouthed,  weighing  about  thirty-two  pounds,  and 
approximating  more  to  the  bull  than  the  terrier 
side.  He  was  mated  to  a  white,  stocky  built, 
three-quarter  tail,  low  stationed  bitch,  named 
Gyp  (or  Kate),  owned  by  Mr.  Edward  Burnett 
of  Southboro.  Like  Judge,  she  possessed  a 
good,  short,  blocky  head.  It  may  not  be  out  of 
place  to  state  here  that  some  few  years  ago,  on 
paying  a  visit  to  Mr.  Burnett  at  Deerfoot  Farm, 
Southboro,  he  told  me  that  in  the  early  days  he 


10  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

possessed  thirteen  white  Boston  terrier  dogs 
that  used  to  accompany  him  in  his  walks  about 
the  farm,  and  woe  to  any  kind  of  vermin  or 
vagrant  curs  that  showed  themselves.  From 
Judge  and  Gyp  descended  Well's  Eph,  a  low- 
stationed,  dark  brindle  dog  with  even  white 
markings,  weighing  twenty-eight  pounds.  Eph 
was  mated  to  a  golden  brindle,  short-headed, 
twenty  pound  bitch,  having  a  three-quarter  tail, 
named  Tobin's  Kate.  From  this  union  came  a 
red  brindle  dog  with  a  white  blaze  on  one  side 
of  his  face,  white  collar,  white  chest,  and  white 
feet,  weighing  twenty-two  pounds,  and  posses- 
sing the  first  screw  tail,  named  Barnard's  Tom. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  first  visit  I  made  to 
Barnard's  stable  to  see  him.  To  my  mind  he 
possessed  a  certain  type,  style  and  quality  such 
as  I  had  never  seen  before,  but  which  stamped 
him  as  the  first  real  Boston  terrier,  as  the  dog 
is  today  understood.  I  was  never  tired  of  going 
to  see  him  and  his  brother,  Atkinson's  Toby. 
Tom  was  mated  to  a  dark  brindle  bitch,  evenly 
marked,  weighing  twenty  pounds.  She  had  a 
good,  short,  blocky  head,  and  a  three-quarter 
tail,  and  known  as  Kelley's  Nell.  The  result  of 
this  mating  was  a  dog  destined  to  make  Boston 
terrier  history,  and  to  my  mind  the  most  famous 
Boston  terrier  born,  judged  by  results.  He  was 
known  as  "Mike,"  commonly  called  "Barnard's 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  11 

Mike."  He  was  a  rather  light  brindle  and  white, 
even  mouthed,  short  tailed  dog,  weighing  about 
twenty-five  pounds,  very  typical,  but  what  im- 
pressed me  was  his  large,  full  eye,  the  first  I 
had  ever  seen,  and  which  we  see  so  often  occur- 
ring in  his  descendants.  I  owned  a  grandson 
of  his  named  "Gus,"  48136,  who  was  almost  a 
reproduction  of  him,  with  eyes  fully  as  large. 
Unfortunately  he  jumped  out  of  a  third-story 
window  in  my  kennels  and  permanently  ended 
his  usefulness.  Chief  among  the  direct  descend- 
ants from  Hooper's  Judge  were  the  noted  stud 
dogs,  Ben  Butler,  Hall's  Max,  O'Brien's  Ross, 
Hook's  Punch,  Trimount  King,  McMullen's 
Boxer,  and  Ben,  Goode's  Ned,  and  Bixby's  Tony 
Boy.  The  two  dogs  that  impressed  me  the  most 
in  that  group  were  Max,  a  fairly  good  sized, 
beautiful  dispositioned  dog  that  could  almost 
talk,  belonging  to  Dr.  Hall,  then  a  house  doctor 
at  the  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  Charles  street. 
He  was  used,  I  am  told,  a  great  deal  in  the  stud, 
and  sired  a  great  many  more  puppies  than  the 
doctor  ever  knew  of.  Bixby's  Tony  Boy  was  the 
other.  I  had  a  very  handsome  bitch  by  him  out  of 
a  Torrey's  Ned  bitch,  and  liked  her  so  much  that 
I  offered  Mr.  Bixby,  I  believe,  $700  for  Tony, 
only  to  be  told  that  a  colored  gentleman  (who 
evidently  knew  a  good  thing  when  he  saw  it) 
had  offered  him  $200  more. 


12  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Of  the  line  of  early  bitches  of  the  same  breed- 
ing may  briefly  be  mentioned  Reynold's  Famous, 
dam  of  Gilbert's  Fun;  Kelley's  Nell,  dam  of 
Ross  and  Trimount  King;  Saunder's  Kate,  dam 
of  Ben  Butler;  Nolan's  Mollie,  dam  of  Doctor, 
Evadne  and  Nancy. 

Quite  a  number  of  other  small  dogs  were  sub- 
sequently introduced  into  the  breed,  which  had 
now  been  somewhat  inbred.  These  were  largely 
imported  from  the  other  side,  and  were  similar 
in  type  to  Hooper's  Judge.  One  of  the  most 
noted  was  the  Jack  Reede  dog.  He  was  an 
evenly  marked,  reddish  brindle  and  white,  rather 
rough  in  coat,  three-quarter  tail,  weighing  four- 
teen pounds.  Another  very  small  dog  was  the 
Perry  dog,  imported  from  Scotland,  bluish  and 
white  in  color,  with  a  three-quarter  straight  tail, 
and  weighing  but  six  pounds.  I  have  always  felt 
very  sorry  not  to  have  seen  him,  as  he  must  have 
been  a  curiosity.  Still  another  outside  dog,  also 
imported,  and  very  quarrelsome,  white  in  color, 
weighing  eighteen  pounds,  with  a  good,  large 
skull,  and  an  eye  as  full  as  Barnard's  Mike,  but 
straight  tail,  was  Kelley's  Brick.  Another  out- 
side dog  (I  do  not  know  where  he  came  from), 
was  O'Brien's  Ben.  He  was  a  short,  cobby, 
white  and  tan  brindle  color,  three-quarter  tail, 
with  a  short  head  and  even  mouth.  It  will  be 
observed  that  practically  all  these  outside  dogs 


Hall's  Max 


Champion  Halloo  Prince 


Bixby's  Tony  Boy 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  13 

were  Mnall  sized,  and  were  selected  largely  on 
that  account.  By  the  continued  inbreeding  of 
the  most  typical  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Tom,  the  present  type  of  the  dog  was  made  per- 
manent. 

Perhaps  this  somewhat  restricted  review  of 
the  breed,  going  back  over  thirty-six  or  seven 
years  and  showing  the  somewhat  mixed  ancestry 
of  our  present  blue-blooded  Boston  terrier  of 
today,  may  afford  some  explanation  of  the  di- 
versity of  type  frequently  presented  in  one  litter. 
I  have  seen  numbers  of  litters  where  the  utmost 
attention  has  been  paid  to  every  detail  with  the 
expectancy  of  getting  crackerjacks,  to  find  that 
one  will  have  to  wait  for  the  "next  time,"  as  the 
litter  in  question  showed  the  bull  type,  and  the 
terrier  also,  and  very  little  Boston;  but  fortu- 
nately, with  the  mating  intelligently  attended  to, 
and  the  putting  aside  of  all  dogs  that  do  not 
comport  to  the  standard  as  non-breeders,  a  type 
of  a  dog  will  be  bred  true  to  our  highest  ideals. 
My  advice  to  all  breeders  is,  do  not  get  dis- 
couraged, try,  yes,  try  again,  and  Boston  terri- 
ers, that  gladden  the  eye  and  fill  the  pocketbook, 
will  be  yours. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  CLUB. 

ITS    HISTORY,   THE  ORDER   OF   ITS   BUSINESS,    CON- 
STITUTION, BY-LAWS,  AND  OFFICIAL 
STANDARD. 

In  1890  a  club  was  formed  in  Boston  by  a 
comparatively  small  body  of  men  who  were  very 
much  interested  in  the  dog  then  known  as  the 
Round-Headed  Bull  and  Terrier  dog.  These 
men  were  breeders  and  lovers  of  the  dog,  and 
their  main  object  in  coming  together  was  not  to 
have  a  social  good  time  (although,  happily,  this 
generally  took  place),  but  to  further  the  inter- 
ests of  the  dog  in  every  legitimate  way.  The 
dog  had  been  shown  at  the  New  England  Ken- 
nel Club  show,  held  in  Boston  in  April,  1888, 
being  judged  by  Mr.  J.  P.  Barnard,  Jr.,  ofttimes 
styled  "the  father  of  the  breed,"  practically  two 
years  before  the  formation  of  the  Club.  The 
year  following  the  Club  applied  for  admission 
in  the  American  Kennel  Club,  and  recognition 
for  their  dogs  in  the  Stud  Book.  The  A.  K.  C. 
stated  that  while  perfectly  willing  to  take  the 
Cub  into  its  fold,  they  could  not  place  the  dog 
in  the  Stud  Book,  as  he  was  not  an  established 
breed,  and  suggesting,  that  as  the  dog  was  not 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  15 

a  bull  terrier,  and  as  he  was  then  bred  exclu- 
sively in  Boston,  the  name  of  the  "Boston  Ter- 
rier Club."  The  year  following  the  A.  K.  C, 
after  a  great  deal  of  persuasion  by  the  loyal  and 
devoted  members  of  the  Club,  became  convinced 
of  the  merits  of  the  breed,  and  formally  ac- 
knowledged the  same  by  admitting  the  Club  to 
membership,  and  giving  their  dog  a  place  in  the 
official  Stud  Book. 

The  Boston  Terrier  Club  is  duly  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  Massachusetts,  has  a  present 
membership  of  from  seventy-five  to  a  hundred, 
men  and  women  who  are  devoted  to  the  dog, 
and  willing  to  do  everything  for  its  advance- 
ment. The  annual  meeting  is  held  on  the  sec- 
ond Wednesday  in  December,  at  which  a  num- 
ber of  judges  are  elected,  whose  names  are 
forwarded  to  the  bench  show  committees  of  the 
principal  shows,  requesting  that  one  of  the  num- 
ber be  elected  to  officiate  as  judge  of  the  Boston 
terriers.  Monthly  meetings  are  held  which  are 
always  exceedingly  interesting  and  instructive. 

The  officers  are  elected  by  printed  ballots  sent 
to  all  members  of  the  Club,  who  mark  and  re- 
turn them.  They  consist  of  the  president,  vice- 
president,  secretary,  and  treasurer.  The  execu- 
tive committee  consists  of  the  officers  (ex  officio) 
and  three  others. 

The  Club  gives  a  specialty  show  yearly  in 


16  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Boston  and  is  the  largest  and  greatest  of  one 
breed  fixtures ;  the  dog  being,  in  fact,  one  of  the 
largest  supporters  of  the  dog  shows  in  the 
country.  Cups  and  medals  are  offered  at  most 
of  the  bench  shows  for  competition  among  the 
members,  and  at  the  Ladies'  Kennel  Association 
shows  a  cup  and  medal  were  offered,  open  to 
all  exhibitors  of  Boston  terriers. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  so  many  Boston 
Terrier  Clubs  are  starting  up  all  over  the  coun- 
try, and  even  beyond,  the  following  Order  of 
Business,  Constitution,  By-Laws,  and  Official 
Standard,  can  safely  be  taken  as  models : 

ORDER  OF  BUSINESS. 


1.  Calling  meeting  to  order. 

2.  Roll  call. 

3.  Reading  of  minutes. 

4.  Reports  of  officers. 

5.  Reports  of  standing  committees  by  sen- 

iority. 

6.  Reports  of  special  committees. 

7.  Communications. 

8.  Applications  for  membership. 

9.  Election  of  members. 

10.  Election  of  officers. 

11.  Unfinished  business. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  17 

12.  New  business. 

13.  Welfare  of  the  Club. 

Under  this  heading  is  included  remarks 
and  debates  intended  to  promote  the  in- 
terests of  the  Club  and  the  Boston  terrier 
in  general. 

14.  Adjournment. 


CONSTITUTION. 


ARTICLE  I. 

NAME. 

This  Association  shall  be  known  as  and  called 
the  Boston  Terrier  Club. 

ARTICLE  II. 

OBJECT. 

The  object  of  the  Club  shall  be  to  promote  and 
encourage  the  breeding  and  improvement  of  the 
Boston  Terrier  Dog,  as  defined  by  its  standard. 

ARTICLE  III. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

SECTION  i.  Applications  for  membership 
must  be  accompanied  by  the  membership  fee  and 
endorsed  by  two  members,  and  made  at  least 
seven  days  before  action  by  the  Club,  to  the  sec- 
retary or  a  member  of  the  membership  commit- 


18  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

tec,  who  shall  refer  it  to  said  committee  for  in- 
vestigation. 

SEC.  2.  Any  member  can  resign  from  the 
Club  by  sending  his  resignation  to  the  secretary 
in  writing,  and  upon  the  acceptance  of  such,  all 
his  interest  in  the  property  of  the  Club  ceases 
from  the  date  of  such  resignation. 

SEC.  3.  Any  member  whose  dues  shall  remain 
unpaid  for  one  month  after  the  same  becomes 
due,  shall  cease  to  be  a  member,  and  forfeit  to 
the  Club  all  claims  and  benefits  to  which  he 
would  have  been  entitled  as  a  member,  provided 
that  the  executive  committee  may  consider  his 
case,  and  upon  sufficient  cause  shown,  reinstate 
him  to  membership  upon  payment  of  his  dues. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

MANAGEMENT. 

SECTION  i.  The  officers  of  the  Club  shall 
consist  of  a  president,  vice-president,  secretary, 
treasurer,  and  an  executive  committee,  of  which 
three  shall  constitute  a  quorum;  said  committee 
to  consist  of  the  above  named  officers  and  three 
active  members  chosen  by  the  Club. 

SEC.  2.  Any  office  vacated  during  the  year 
shall  be  filled  by  the  executive  committee. 

ARTICLE  V. 

SECTION  I.  Nomination  for  officers  and 
judges  for  the  ensuing  year  shall  be  made  cither 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  19 

by  mail  or  from  the  floor,  at  a  meeting  to  be 
held  in  November,  at  least  twenty  days  prior  to 
the  annual  meeting,  the  call  to  contain  the  pur- 
pose of  the  meeting,  after  which  nominations 
shall  be  closed.  The  secretary  shall  mail  a  bal- 
lot containing  all  regular  nominations  to  each 
member  in  time  to  be  voted  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing. 

SEC.  2.  The  officers  of  the  Club  shall  be 
chosen  by  ballot  at  the  annual  meeting  and  shall 
hold  their  respective  offices  for  one  year  or  until 
their  respective  successors  are  elected. 

SEC.  3.  Mail  voting  shall  be  allowed  on 
amendments  to  the  Constitution,  By-Laws, 
Standard  and  Scale  of  Points. 

SEC.  4.  Each  member  shall  have  the  right  to 
vote  on  the  election  of  officers  and  judges  by 
mailing  the  official  ballot  duly  marked  and  sealed 
to  the  secretary,  and  enclosed  in  an  envelope, 
which  envelope  shall  also  contain  the  name  of  the 
member  so  voting. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

MEETINGS. 

SECTION  I.  There  shall  be  meetings  of  the 
Club,  at  which  seven  members  present  and  vot- 
ing shall  constitute  a  quorum,  held  at  Boston, 
Mass.,  at  such  time  and  place  as  the  president 
may  direct,  but  the  annual  meeting  shall  be  held 


20  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

on  the  second  Wednesday  in  December  of  each 
year. 

SPECIAL    MEETINGS. 

SEC.  2.  A  special  meeting  of  the  Club  shall 
be  called  by  the  president  on  the  written  applica- 
tion of  five  members  in  good  standing. 

BY-LAWS. 


ARTICLE  I. 

DUTIES  OF  OFFICERS. 

SECTION  I.  President. — The  president  shall 
discharge  the  usual  duties  of  his  office,  preside 
at  all  meetings  of  the  Club  and  of  the  executive 
committee,  call  special  meetings  of  the  Club,  or 
of  the  executive  committee,  and  enforce  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  the 
Club.  He  may  vote  on  amendments  to  the  Con- 
stitution or  alteration  of  the  By-Laws  and  Stand- 
ard or  Scale  of  Points,  on  the  expulsion  or  sus- 
pension of  a  member,  and  on  election  of  officers 
and  judges.  But  on  all  other  matters  he  shall 
vote  only  in  case  of  tie  and  then  give  the  decid- 
ing vote. 

SEC.  2.  Vice-President. — The  vice-president 
shall  discharge  all  the  duties  of  the  president  in 
the  latter's  absence. 

SEC.  3.  Secretary. — The  secretary  shall  have 
charge  of  all  official  correspondence,  keep  copies 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  21 

of  all  letters  sent  by  him,  and  file  such  as  he 
may  receive,  and  correspond  at  the  request  of 
the  president  or  executive  committee  on  all  mat- 
ters appertaining  to  the  object  of  the  Club.  He 
shall  keep  a  roll  of  the  members  of  the  Club 
with  their  addresses. 

He  shall  be  exempt  from  payment  of  annual 
dues. 

SEC.  4.  Treasurer. — The  treasurer  shall  col- 
lect and  receive  all  moneys  due  the  Club  and 
keep  a  correct  account  of  the  same.  He  shall 
pay  all  orders  drawn  on  him  by  the  executive 
committee  out  of  the  funds  of  the  Club,  when 
countersigned  by  the  president,  and  present  a 
report  of  the  condition  of  affairs  in  his  depart- 
ment at  the  request  of  the  executive  committee 
or  president,  and  at  the  annual  meeting.  The 
treasurer  shall  furnish  a  bond  satisfactory  to 
the  executive  committee. 

SEC.  5.  Committees. — The  executive  commit- 
tee shall  make  all  purchases  ordered  by  the  Club, 
audit  the  accounts  of  the  treasurer  and  report 
the  same  at  the  annual  election  in  December, 
and  transact  all  business  not  otherwise  provided 
for. 

It  shall  have  the  power  to  appoint  sub-com- 
mittees for  any  special  purpose,  and  to  delegate 
to  each  sub-committee  the  powers  and  func- 
tions of  the  committee  relating  thereto. 


22  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

The  president  shall  be  the  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee. 

SEC.  6.  Sub-Committees. — The  standing  sub- 
committees shall  be  a  membership  committee  of 
five  and  a  pedigree  committee  of  three. 

The  membership  committee  shall  investigate 
the  standing  of  all  applicants,  and  report  to  the 
Qub  for  action  those  names  it  considers  as  de- 
sirable members. 

The  pedigree  committee  shall  investigate  the 
pedigrees  of  those  dogs  offered  for  registration 
in  the  Boston  Terrier  Stud  Book. 

The  chairman  of  the  pedigree  committee  shall 
have  the  custody  of  the  Club  stud  book,  and 
shall  enter  in  the  same  the  registrations  allowed 
by  the  B.  T.  C. 

ARTICLE  II. 

DISCIPLINE. 

The  executive  committee  shall  have  the  power 
to  discipline  by  suspension  a  member  found 
guilty  of  conduct  prejudicial  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  Club.  All  charges  against  a  member 
must  be  made  in  writing  and  filed  with  the  ex- 
ecutive committee,  and  no  member  shall  be  sus- 
pended without  an  opportunity  to  be  heard  in 
his  own  defense.  When  the  expulsion  of  a  mem- 
ber is  considered  advisable,  the  report  of  the 
committee  shall  be  presented  to  the  Qub,  whose 
action  shall  be  final. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  23 

ARTICLE  III. 

DUES. 

SECTION  I,  The  entrance  fee  shall  be  five  dol- 
lars, which  must  accompany  the  application  for 
membership. 

SEC.  2.  The  annual  dues  shall  be  ten  dollars, 
payable  upon  notice  of  election  and  at  each  an- 
nual meeting  thereafter. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

JUDGES. 

SECTION  i.  There  shall  be  elected  by  ballot 
each  year  at  the  annual  meeting  a  corps  of  not 
more  than  fifteen  judges,  a  list  of  whose  names 
shall  be  sent  to  bench  show  committees  with  a 
request  that  the  judge  of  Boston  terriers  at  their 
approaching  shows  be  selected  from  said  list. 

SEC.  2.     The   Club   judges  may   exhibit,  but 
shall  not  compete  at  or  be  interested  directly  or 
indirectly  in  the  show  at  which  they  officiate. 
ARTICLE  V. 

AMENDMENTS. 

This  Constitution  and  these  By-Laws,  and  the 
Standard  and  Scale  of  Points  may  be  amended 
or  altered  by  a  two-thirds  vote  at  any  regular 
meeting  or  special  meeting  called  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

Notice  of  proposed  change  having  been  given 
to  all  members  at  least  ten  days  previous  to  said 
meeting. 


24  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 


THE  REVISED  BOSTON 
TERRIER  STANDARD 


The  present  Boston  terrier  standard  was 
adopted  by  the  Boston  Terrier  Club  on  Octo- 
ber 7,  1914,  as  a  result  of  a  revision  recom- 
mended by  a  committee  appointed  by  the  Bos- 
ton Terrier  Club. 

It  was  felt,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  dog 
had  become  established  all  over  the  continent 
among  breeders  and  fanciers  not  as  familiar 
with  the  ideal  of  the  breed  as  were  the  original 
breeders  and  friends  of  the  dog  around  Boston, 
that  a  more  explicit,  definite  standard,  one  that 
could  be  more  easily  understood  by  the  great 
body  of  the  dog's  admirers  of  today,  should  be 
adopted. 

It  will  be  readily  observed  by  a  comparison 
of  the  old  standard,  which  has  practically  been 
in  existence  since  the  formation  of  the  club  in 
1891,  that  no  vital  point  has  been  really 
changed. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 


25 


REVISED  STANDARD 

POINT  VALUES 

10  GENERAL  APPEARANCE:  The 
general  appearance  of  the  Boston 
terrier  should  be  that  of  a  lively, 
highly  intelligent,  smooth  coated, 
short  headed,  compactly  built, 
short  tailed,  well  balanced  dog 
of  medium  station,  of  brindle  col- 
or and  evenly  marked  with  white. 
The  head  should  indicate  a  high 
degree  of  intelligence  and  should 
be  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
dog;  the  body  rather  short  and 
well  knit,  the  limbs  strong  and 
neatly  turned;  tail  short  and  no 
feature  being  so  prominent  that  the 
dog  appears  badly  proportioned. 
The  dog  should  convey  an  impres- 
sion oT  determination,  strength 
and  activity,  with  style  of  a  high 
order;  carriage  easy  and  graceful. 
A  proportionate  combination  of 
"Color"  and  "Ideal  Markings"  is 
a  particularly  distinctive  feature 
of  a  representative  specimen,  and 
dogs  with  a  preponderance  of 
white  on  body,  or  without  the 
proper  proportion  of  brindle  and 
white  on  head,  should  possess 
sufficient  merit  otherwise  to  coun- 
eract  their  deficiences  in  these 
respects. 

The  ideal  "Boston  Terrier  Expres- 
sion" as  indicating  "a  high  de- 
gree of  intelligence,"  is  also  an 
important  characteristic  of  the 
breed. 

"Color  and  Markings"  and  "Ex- 
pression" should  be  given  particu- 
lar consideration  in  determining 
the  relative  value  of  "General  Ap- 
pearance" to  other  points. 


OLD  STANDARD. 

Scale  of  Points. 

10GENERAL  APPEARANCE 
AND  STYLE:  The  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  Boston  Terrier 
is  that  of  a  smooth,  short-coated, 
compactly-built  dog  of  medium 
station.  The  head  should  indi- 
cate a  high  degree  of  intelligence 
and  should  be  in  proportion  to 
the  dog's  size;  the  body  rather 
short  and  well-knit,  the  limbs 
strong  and  finely  turned,  no  fea- 
ture being  so  prominent  that  the 
dog  appears  badly  proportioned. 
The  dog  conveys  an  impression 
of  determination,  strength  and 
activity.  Style  of  a  high  order, 
and  carriage  easy  and  graceful. 


26 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 


12  SKULL:  Square,  flat  on  top,  free 
from  wrinkles;  cheeks  flat;  brow 
abrupt,  stop  well  defined. 


5  EYES:  Wide  apart,  large  and 
round,  dark  in  color,  expression 
alert,  but  kind  and  intelligent;  the 
eyes  should  set  square  across 
brow  and  the  outside  corners 
should  be  on  a  line  with  the 
cheeks  as  viewed  from  the  front. 

12  MUZZLE:  Short,  square,  wide 
and  deep;  free  from  wrinkles; 
shorter  in  length  than  in  width 
and  depth,  and  in  proportion  to 
skull;  width  and  depth  carried 
out  well  to  end.  Nose  black  and 
wide,  with  well  defined  line  be- 
tween nostrils.  The  jaws  broad 
and  square,  with  short  regular 
teeth.  The  chops  of  good  depth, 
but  not  pendulous,  completely  cov- 
ering the  teeth  when  mouth  is 
closed.  ^  The  muzzle  should  not 
exceed  in  approximate  length  one- 
third  of  length  of  skull. 

2  EARS:  Small  and  thin,  situated 
as  near  corners  of  skull  as  pos- 
sible. 

HEAD  FAULTS:  Skull  "domed" 
or  inclined;  furrowed  by  a  medial 
line;  skull  too  long  for  breadth, 
or  vice  versa;  stop  too  shallow; 
brow  and  skull  too  slanting. 
Eyes  small  or  sunken;  too  prom- 
inent; light  color;  showing  too 
much  white  or  haw.  Muzzle 
wedge  shaped  or  lacking  depth; 
down  faced;  too  much  cut  out  be- 
low the  eyes;  pinched  nostrils; 
protruding  teeth;  weak  lower  jaw; 
showing  "turn  up."  Poorly  car- 
ried ears  or  out  of  proportion. 


12  SKULL:  Broad  and  flat,  without 
prominent  cheeks,  and  forehead 
free  from  wrinkles. 

2  STOP:  Well  defined,  but  inden- 
ture not  too  deep. 

5  EYES:  Wide  apart,  large  and 
round,  neither  sunken  nor  too 
prominent,  and  in  color  dark  and 
soft.  The  outside  corner  should 
be  on  a  line  with  the  cheeks  as 
viewed  from  the  front 

12  MUZZLE:  Short,  square,  wide 
and  deep,  without  wjrinkles.  Nose 
black  and  wide,  with  a  well  de- 
fined straight  line  between  nos- 
trils. The  jaws  broad  and 
square,  with  short,  regular  teeth 
The  chops  wide  and  deep,  not 
pendulous,  completely  covering 
the  teeth  when  mouth  is  closed. 


EARS:  Small  and  thin,  situated 
as  near  corners  of  skull  as  pos- 
sible. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 


27 


3  NECK:    Of    fair    length,   slightly 
arched     and     carrying     the     head 
gracefully;      setting     neatly     into 
shoulders. 

NECK  FAULTS:  Ewe-necked; 
throatiness;  short  and  thick. 
15  BODY:  Deep  with  good  width 
of  chest;  shoulders  sloping;  back 
short;  ribs  deep  and  well  sprung, 
carried  well  back  of  loins;  loins 
short  and  muscular;  rump  curv- 
ing slightly  to  set-on  of  tail. 
Flank  slightly  cut  up.  The  body 
should  appear  short,  but  not 
chunky. 

BODY  FAULTS:  Flat  sides; 
narrow  chest;  long  or  slack  loins; 
roach  back;  sway  back;  too  much 
cut  up  in  flank. 

4  ELBOWS:    Standing      neither    in 
nor  out. 

5  FORELEGS:  Set  moderately    wide 
apart  and  on  a  line  with  the  points 
of  the  shoulders;  straight  in  bone 
and  well  muscled;   pasterns  short 
and  strong. 

5  HINDLEGS:  Set  true;  bent  at 
stifles;  short  from  hocks  to  feet; 
hocks  turning  neither  in  nor  out; 
thighs  strong  and  well  muscled. 


5  FEET:  Round,  small  and  com- 
pact, and  turned  neither  in  nor 
out;  toes  well  arched. 
LEG  AND  FEET  FAULTS:  Loose 
shoulders  or  elbows;  hind  legs 
too  straight  at  stifles ;  hocks  too 
prominent;  long  or  weak  pasterns; 
splay  feet. 


5     NECK:    Of   fair  length,  without 
throatiness    and    slightly    arched. 


15  BODY:  Deep  and  broad  of  chest, 
well  ribbed  up.  Back  short,  not 
roached.  Loins  and  quarters 
strong. 


2    ELBOWS:    Standing    neither    in 

nor  out. 
4    FORELEGS:         Wide         apart, 

straight  and  well  muscled. 


4  HINDLEGS:  Straight,  quite  long 
from  stifle  to  hock  (which  should 
turn  neither  in  nor  out),  short 
and  straight  from  hock  to  pas- 
terns. Thighs  well  muscled. 
Hocks  not  too  prominent 

2  FEET:  Small,  nearly  round,  and 
turned  neither  in  nor  out.  Toes 
compact  and  arched. 


28 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 


5    TAIL:      Set-on     low;     short,    fine  10  TAIL:     Set-on    low,    short,    fine 

and    tapering;    straight   or   screw;  and  tapering,  devoid  of  fringe  or 

devoid    of   fringe   or    coarse    hair,  coarse     hair,    and     not     carried 

and  not  carried   above  horizontal.  above  the  horizontal. 

TAIL  FAULTS:  A  long  or  gaily 
carried  tail ;  extremely  gnarled  or 
curled  against  body. 
(Note:  The  preferred  tail  should 
not  exceed  in  length  approximate- 
ly half  the  distance  from  set-on  to 
hock.) 

4    COLOR:      Brindle      with      white    8     COLOR:     Any     color,     brindle, 
markings.  evenly      marked      with      white, 

strongly  preferred. 

10  IDEAL  MARKINGS:  White  muz-  4    MARKINGS:      White      muzzle, 

zle,    even   white   blaze   over   head,  blaze  on   face,  collar,  chest   and 

collar,    breast,    part    or    whole    of  feet, 
forelegs  and  hindlegs  below  hocks. 

COLOR  AND  MARKINGS 
FAULTS:  All  white;  absence  of 
white  markings ;  preponderance  of 
white  on  body;  without  the  proper 
proportion  of  brindle  and  white 
on  head;  or  any  variations  de- 
tracting from  the  general  appear- 
ance. 


COAT:      Short,      smooth,      bright    3 
and  fine  in  texture. 
COAT  FAULTS:  Long  or  coarse; 
lacking  lustre. 


COAT:    Fine    in    texture,    short, 
bright  and  not  too  hard. 


100 


100 


WEIGHTS:     Not     exceeding    27 
pounds,  divided  as  follows: 
Lightweight:     Under    17     pounds. 
Middleweight:     17     and     not    ex- 


WEIGHT:  Lightweight  class,  12 
and  not  to  exceed  17  pounds; 
middleweight  class,  17  and  not 
to  exceed  22  pounds;  heavy- 


J.  P.  Barnard 
The  Father  of  the  Boston  Terrier 


Champion  Sonnie  Punch 


Rockydale  Junior 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  29 


eeeding  22   pounds.  weight  class,   22   and  not  to   ex- 

Heavyweight:     22     and     not     ex-         ceed   28    pounds, 
ceeding  27  pounds. 

DISQUALIFICATIONS:         Solid          DISQUALIFICATIONS:     Dock- 
black,    black    and    tan,    liver    and          ed   tail   and   any  artificial   means 
mouse    colors.      Docked    tail     and          used  to  deceive  the  judge, 
any    artificial    means    used    to    de- 
ceive the  judge. 


30  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

AN  EARLY  STANDARD 
The   following  standard  adopted  when  the 
dog  was  known  as  the  Round-Headed  Bull  and 
Terrier  Dog,  will  be  of  interest  here. 

Skull — Large,  broad  and  flat. 

Stop— Well    defined. 

Ears — Preferably  cut,  if  left  on  should  be  small  and 
thin,  situated  as  near  corners  of  skull  as  possible;  rose 
ears  preferable. 

Eyes — Wide  apart,  large,  round,  dark  and  soft  and 
not  "goggle"  eyed. 

Muzzle — Short,  round  and  deep,  without  wrinkles, 
nose  should  be  black  and  wide. 

Mouth — Preferably  even,  teeth  should  be  covered 
when  mouth  is  closed. 

Neck — Thick,  clean   and  strong. 

Body — Deep  at  chest  and  well  ribbed  up,  making  a 
short  backed,  cobby  built  dog;  loins  and  buttocks  strong. 

Legs — Straight  and  well  muscled. 

Feet — Strong,   small    and   moderately   round. 

Tail — Short  and  fine,  straight  or  screw,  carried  low. 

Color — Any  color,  except  black,  mouse  or  liver; 
brindle  and  white,  brindle  or  whole  white  are  the  colors 
most  preferred. 

Coat — Short,  fine,  bright  and  hard. 

Symmetry — Of  a   high  order. 

Disqualifications — Hair  lip,  docked  tail  and  any  arti- 
ficial means  used  to  deceive  the  judge. 

Weight — It  was  voted  to  divide  the  different  weights 
into  three  classes,  as  follows:  15  pounds  and  under,  25 
pounds  and  under,  36  pounds  and  under. 
Scale  of  points: 

Skull    15      Legs  and  Feet  10 

Muzzle    15      Tail  10 

Nose    5       Color  and  Coat  10 

Eyes     5       Symmetry   10 

Ears     5 

Neck    5 

Body    10      Total  100 


CHAPTER  III, 


KENNELING 


It  goes  without  saying  that  any  place  is  not 
good  enough  for  a  dog,  although  when  one 
considers  the  way  some  dogs  are  housed  in 
small,  dark  outbuildings,  or  damp,  ill-lighted 
and  poorly  ventilated  cellars,  or  even  perhaps 
worse,  in  old  barrels  or  discarded  drygoods 
boxes  in  some  out-of-the-way  corner,  it  is  not 
surprising  the  quality  of  the  puppies  raised  in 
them. 

A  great  many  people  who  only  keep  one  or 
two  dogs  keep  them  in  the  kitchen  or  living 
room,  and  here,  of  course,  conditions  are  all 
right,  but  the  fancier  who  keeps  any  consider- 
able number  will  find  that  it  pays  to  house  his 
dogs  in  a  comfortable,  roomy,  dry  building,  free 
from  draughts,  on  high  lands  (with  a  gravel 
foundation,  if  possible),  that  can  be  flooded 
with  sunshine  and  fresh  air.  Such  a  kennel  can 
be  simple  or  elaborate  in  construction,  severely 
plain  or  ornamental  in  its  architecture,  but  it 
must  possess  the  above  characteristics  in  order 
to  have  its  occupants  kept  in  the  pink  of  condi- 


32  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

tion.  Where  half  a  dozen  dogs  are  kept,  I  think 
a  kennel  about  20  feet  long,  nine  feet  wide,  with 
a  pitched  roof,  nine  feet  high  in  the  front,  and 
at  the  back  seven  feet,  with  a  southern  exposure, 
with  good  windows  that  open  top  and  bottom, 
and  a  good  tight  board  floor  will  do  admirably. 
This  can,  of  course,  be  partitioned  off  in  pens 
to  suit,  with  convenient  runs  outside  wired  at 
the  top  to  prevent  dogs  jumping  over.  The 
building  should,  of  course,  be  well  constructed, 
covered  with  good  sheathing  paper,  and  either 
clapboarded  or  shingled.  Such  a  building  should 
be  cool  in  summer  and  warm  in  winter,  and 
thoroughly  weather  proof.  If  provided  with  a 
good  "Eureka  ventilator5'  and  well  painted,  the 
clogs  and  their  owner  will  be  satisfied.  Where  a 
much  larger  number  of  dogs  are  kept,  then  a 
corresponding  amount  of  floor  space  is  a  neces- 
sity. I  rather  like  the  style  of  a  kennel,  say  from 
fifty  to  a  hundred  feet  long,  twelve  to  fifteen  feet 
wide,  with  an  open  compartment  or  shed,  about 
twelve  feet  long  (in  which  the  dogs  can  take  a 
sun  bath  or  get  the  air  if  the  weather  is  not 
favorable  to  go  outside.  This  also  makes  an 
ideal  feeding  pen),  in  the  middle  of  the  house, 
without  outside  runs  to  each  pen,  and  each  run 
opening  into  a  large  exercising  yard,  so  that 
all  the  dogs  may  have  a  good  frolic  together,  of 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  33 

course,  under  the  watchful  eye  of  the  kennel 
man. 

The  large  breeders  will  also  require  a  separate 
building  at  some  distance  from  the  main  kennels 
for  use  as  a  hospital,  a  small  kennel  for  his 
bitches  in  season,  and  some  small,  portable  ken- 
nels which  can  be  placed  under  adequate  shade 
trees  for  his  litters  of  puppies  during  the  hot 
weather.  It  would  be  an  excellent  plan  if  good 
shade  trees  could  be  planted  to  cover  all  the 
runs,  but  if  this  is  not  possible,  then  it  is  advis- 
able to  have  at  the  rear  of  the  kennels  a  clear 
space  covered  over  with  a  roof,  say  ten  or  twelve 
feet  wide,  for  the  dogs  to  have  free  access  to 
during  the  heat  of  the  day. 

Perhaps  a  description  of  our  own  kennels, 
entirely  different  in  construction  from  these, 
and  costing  more  to  build,  may  be  of  interest 
here.  We  have  two  buildings,  seventy-five  feet 
apart,  built  exactly  like  a  house,  with  two  stories 
and  a  high  basement  or  cellar,  twenty-five  feet 
wide  and  thirty  feet  long.  One  of  these  houses 
is  lined  with  matched  paneling  and  divided  off 
on  each  floor  into  separate  compartments;  the 
other  is  only  boarded,  one  thickness  of  good 
paper  and  clapboarded  and,  of  course,  not  nearly 
as  warm.  This  second  building  has  no  pens  in 
it.  The  basement  has  a  stone  wall  at  the  back, 
but  on  the  east,  south  and  west  sides  is  boarded 


34  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

to  the  ground,  and  has  a  dry  gravel  floor.  These 
buildings  are  well  supplied  with  windows  (the 
same  as  a  house),  and  get  the  sun  all  day.  In 
these  buildings  we  have  no  artificial  heat  what- 
ever, and  all  stock,  except  small  puppies,  are 
kept  there.  Our  pups  in  the  winter  have  warm 
quarters  until  they  are  four  months  old,  when 
they  are  placed  in  the  south  side  of  the  warmer 
kennels.  All  puppies  are  kept  in  the  cool  base- 
ment in  the  hot  weather,  and  during  the  summer 
our  bitches  in  whelp  are  kept  there  also.  We 
have  not  any  separate  runs  attached  to  these 
buildings,  which  entails  a  much  closer  watch  on 
the  dogs,  of  course,  but  each  building  opens 
into  a  very  large  enclosure  with  abundant  shade 
trees,  and  the  dogs  can,  if  let  out,  have  the  run 
of  several  acres. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  we  have  several  tons  of 
rowen  (second  crop  hay  with  a  good  deal  of 
clover  in  it)  put  in  the  upper  story  of  the  open 
kennel,  and  a  smaller  amount  in  the  first  story, 
and  during  the  winter  a  certain  number  of  young 
dogs  that  will  not  quarrel  amongst  themselves 
are  given  the  run  of  the  building  where  they 
burrow  into  the  soft  hay  and  are  as  comfortable 
as  can  be.  Particular  care  has  to  be  taken  that 
they  do  not  get  any  bones  or  any  food  to  quarrel 
over,  or  trouble  would  ensue  right  away.  Allow 
me  to  say  that  only  dogs  brought  up  together 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  35 

with  perfect  dispositions  can  be  allowed  to  run 
together.  A  strange  dog  must  never  be  placed 
with  them  or  his  days  will  be  numbered.  In 
the  summer,  of  course,  no  dogs  are  kept  in  the 
upper  story,  as  they  would  suffer  from  the  heat. 
Also  no  bitches  in  whelp  are  ever  allowed  to  run 
together. 

In  the  other  kennel  in  each  pen  during  the  cold 
weather  is  a  large,  tight  box,  with  hole  in  side, 
filled  with  this  soft  hay,  renewed  when  necessary, 
in  which  two  dogs  sleep  very  comfortably.  The 
windows  in  each  kennel,  as  soon  as  the  weather 
permits,  are  kept  open  at  the  top  night  and  day, 
and  top  and  bottom  while  the  dogs  are  out  doors 
in  the  daytime,  and  in  this  way  the  kennels  can 
be  kept  perfectly  sweet  and  sanitary.  Three 
times  during  the  year,  in  spring,  midsummer  and 
fall,  the  kennels  are  treated  with  a  thorough 
fumigation  of  sulphur.  We  buy  bar  sulphur  by 
the  barrel  of  a  wholesale  druggist  or  importer, 
and  use  a  good  quantity  (a  small  dose  does  not 
do  much  good),  keeping  the  kennel  windows 
and  doors  tightly  closed  for  twelve  hours,  after 
which  the  building  is  thoroughly  aired  before 
the  dogs  are  returned.  Of  course,  this  would 
not  be  practical  during  the  winter,  nor  is  it  at 
all  necessary.  We  find  that  once  a  week  (except 
of  course,  during  the  cold  weather),  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  give  the  woodwork  that  the  dog 


36  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

comes  in  contact  with  a  good  sprinkling  with  a 
watering  pot  with  a  solution  of  permanganate 
of  potassium,  using  a  tablespoonful  of  the  crys- 
tals dissolved  in  a  quart  of  hot  water.  It  costs 
at  wholesale  fifty  cents  per  pound,  and  is  the 
best  disinfectant  I  have  ever  used.  Unless  the 
kennels  are  kept  scrupulously  clean  the  dogs' 
eyes,  especially  the  puppies,  are  liable  to  become 
seriously  inflamed.  The  gravel  in  the  basement 
we  remove  to  a  depth  of  eight  inches  twice  a 
year,  putting  fresh  in  its  place.  Where  a  large 
number  of  dogs  are  kept  it  will  be  found  very 
convenient  to  have  a  cook  house,  wash  room  and 
a  small  closet  for  kennel  utensils  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  kennels. 

By  attending  to  these  important  essentials, 
viz.,  an  abundance  of  pure  air  and  sunshine,  pro- 
tection from  dampness,  draughts,  and  cold, 
proper  disinfecting,  and  sufficient  protection 
from  the  intense  heat  of  summer,  good  health, 
and  a  reasonable  amount  of  success  can  be  con- 
fidently expected,  but  disease  will  surely  find  an 
entrance  where  these  requirements  are  not  met. 

I  would  like  to  add  that  kennels  only  large 
enough  for  white  mice,  or  perchance  piebald 
rats,  can  never  be  successfully  used  to  raise 
Boston  terriers  in. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


GENERAL   HINTS  ON   BREEDING. 


Having  become  possessed  of  suitable  kennels 
to  house  his  stock,  the  breeder  is  confronted  with 
the  great  question:  How  and  where  shall  I  ob- 
tain my  breeding  stock?  Much  depends  on  a 
right  start  and  the  getting  of  the  proper  kind 
of  dogs  for  the  foundation.  Our  celebrated 
Boston  poet,  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  when 
asked  when  a  child's  education  should  begin, 
promptly  replied,  "A  hundred  years  before  it  was 
born."  This  contains  an  inherent  truth  that  all 
breeders  of  choice  stock  of  whatever  description 
it  may  be,  recognize.  To  be  well  born  is  half 
the  battle,  and  I  think  this  applies  with  particu- 
lar force  to  the  Boston  terrier,  for  without  a 
good  ancestry  of  well  bred  dogs,  possessing  the 
best  of  dispositions,  constitutions  and  conformity 
to  the  standard,  he  is  worse  than  useless. 

Whether  the  start  is  made  with  one  bitch  or 
a  dozen,  I  believe  the  best  plan  to  follow  is  to 
obtain  of  a  reliable  breeder,  noted  for  the  general 
excellence  of  his  dogs  in  all  desirable  character- 
istics, what  he  considers  the  best  stock  obtain- 
able for  breeding  purposes.  This  does  not  imply, 


38  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

of  course,  that  these  bitches  will  be  candidates 
for  bench  honors,  but  it  does  mean  that  if  mated 
with  suitable  sires  the  production  of  good,  all- 
round  puppies  with  a  reasonable  amount  of  luck 
will  be  the  result.  It  would  be  useless  to  attempt 
to  deal  with  the  subject  of  breeding  in  more 
than  a  few  of  its  aspects,  for  after  a  period  of 
twenty-five  years  of  expended  and  scientific 
experiments  in  the  breeding  exclusively  of  Bos- 
tons, I  shall  have  to  confess  that  there  are  many 
problems  still  unsolved.  The  rules  and  regula- 
tions that  govern  the  production  of  many  other 
breeds  of  dogs  seem  impotent  here,  the  assump- 
tion that  "like  produces  like"  does  not  seem  to 
hold  good  frequently  in  this  breed,  but  perhaps 
the  elements  of  uncertainty  give  an  unspeakable 
charm  to  the  efforts  put  forth  for  the  production 
of  the  dogs  which  will  be  a  credit  to  the  owner's 
kennel.  The  old  adage  that  "there  is  nothing 
duller  than  a  puzzle  of  which  the  answer  is 
known,"  can  readily  be  applied  here.  I  shall 
endeavor  to  confine  my  remarks  to  the  laws 
observed  and  the  lines  followed  for  the  produc- 
tion of  dogs  in  our  kennels,  especially  in  the 
attainment  of  correct  color  and  markings,  vigor- 
ous constitutions  and  desirable  dispositions. 

In  speaking  of  the  breeding  stock  I  am  aware 
that  I  am  going  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  many 
breeders  when  I  state  that  I  believe  that  the 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  39 

dam  should  possess  equal  or  more  quality  than 
the  sire,  that  her  influence  and  characteristics 
are  perpetuated  in  her  posterity  to  a  greater  de- 
gree than  are  those  of  the  sire's,  especially  that 
feature  of  paramount  importance,  a  beautiful 
disposition,  hence  I  speak  of  the  maternal  side 
of  the  house  first.  There  are  two  inexorable 
laws  that  confront  the  breeder  at  the  onset,  more 
rigid  than  were  those  of  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians, the  non-observance  of  which  will  inevit- 
ably lead  to  shipwreck.  Better  by  far  turn 
one's  energies  in  attempting  to  square  the  circle, 
or  produce  a  strain  of  frogs  covered  with 
feathers,  than  attempt  to  raise  Boston  terriers 
without  due  attention  being  given  to  those  physi- 
ological laws  which  experience  has  proven  cor- 
rect. The  first  law  is  that  "Like  produces  like," 
although,  as  previously  stated  in  the  case  of 
this  breed,  more  than  in  any  other  known  to  the 
writer,  many  exceptions  present  themselves,  even 
when  the  utmost  care  has  been  exercised,  still 
the  maxim  holds  good  in  the  main.  The  second 
law  is  that  of  Heredity,  too  often  paid  inadequate 
attention  to,  but  which  demands  constant  and 
unremitting  apprehension,  as  it  modifies  the  first 
law  in  many  ways.  It  may  be  briefly  described 
as  the  biological  law  by  which  the  general  char- 
acteristics of  living  creatures  are  repeated  in 
their  descendants.  Practically  every  one  has 


40  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

noticed  its  workings  in  the  human  family,  how 
many  children  bear  a  stronger  resemblance  to 
their  grandparents,  uncles,  cousins,  etc.,  than  to 
their  parents,  and  in  the  lower  order  of  animals, 
and  it  seems  to  me  in  the  Bostons  especially, 
this  tendency  to  atavism,  or  throwing  back  to 
some  ancestor,  in  many  cases  quite  remote,  is 
very  pronounced,  hence  the  necessity  of  a  good 
general  knowledge  of  the  pedigree  and  family 
history  of  the  dogs  the  breeder  selects  for  his 
foundation  stock.  A  kennel  cannot  be  built  in 
a  day;  it  takes  time,  money,  perseverance,  and 
a  strict  attention  to  detail  to  insure  success. 

"Breed  to  the  best,"  is  a  golden  rule,  but  this 
applies  not  only  to  the  animals  themselves,  but 
also  in  a  far  greater  measure  to  the  good  general 
qualities  possessed  by  their  ancestry.  Far  more 
pregnant  with  good  results  would  be  the  mating 
of  two  good  all-round  specimens,  lacking  to  a 
considerable  extent  show  points,  but  the  prod- 
ucts of  two  families  known  for  their  general 
excellence  for  several  generations,  than  the  off- 
spring would  be  of  two  noted  prize  winners  of 
uncertain  ancestry,  neither  of  which  possessed 
the  inherent  quality  of  being  able  to  reproduce 
themselves.  It  will  be  noted  that  very  few  first 
prize  winners  had  prize  winning  sires  and  dams. 
The  noted  stud  dogs  of  the  past,  "Buster," 
"Sullivan's  Punch,"  "Cracksman,"  "Hickey's 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  41 

Teddy  IV.,"  and  many  others  were  not  in  them- 
selves noted  winners,  and  the  same  statement 
may  be  made  of  the  dams  of  many  of  the  prize 
winning  dogs,  but  they  possessed  in  themselves 
and  their  ancestry  that  "hall  mark"  of  quality 
which  appeared  in  a  pronounced  form  in  their 
offspring.  Experience  has  shown  that  first  class 
qualities  must  exist  for  several  generations  in 
order  to  render  their  perpetuation  highly  prob- 
able. The  converse  of  this  is  equally  true,  that 
any  bad  qualities  bred  for  the  same  length  of 
time  are  quite  as  hard  to  eliminate.  If  the  dog 
or  bitch  possesses  weak  points,  be  sure  to  breed 
to  dogs  coming  from  families  that  are  noted 
for  their  corresponding  strong  points.  In  this 
case  the  principle  of  "give  and  take"  will  be 
adopted.  It  used  to  be  the  ambition  of  every 
breeder  (or,  at  least,  most  of  them),  to  produce 
a  winner,  rather  than  the  production  of  a  line 
of  dogs  of  good  uniform  type,  of  good  average 
salable  quality,  but  most  have  lived  long  enough 
to  see  that  this  has  not  paid  as  well  in  money 
or  expected  results  as  where  similar  endeavors 
have  been  directed  towards  the  production  of 
good  all-round  dogs,  always  striving  to  advance 
their  dogs  to  a  higher  grade  of  excellence.  In 
this  way  in  nearly  every  instance  prize  winning 
dogs  have  been  produced,  and  there  is  this 
peculiarity  noticeable  in  this  breed,  that  any  one. 


42  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

whether  he  be  a  breeder  of  the  greatest  number, 
or  a  very  poor  man  owning  only  one  or  two 
in  his  kitchen  kennel,  possesses  an  equal  chance 
of  producing  the  winner  of  the  blue.  The 
breeder  of  today  has  a  far  easier  time  than  in 
the  early  days  of  the  dog  when  type  was  not 
as  pronounced  or  fixed,  and  when  considerable 
inbreeding  of  necessity  had  to  be  resorted  to.  In 
almost  all  parts  of  the  country  stud  dogs  of  first 
class  lineage  are  obtainable  and  the  general 
public  are  educated  sufficiently  to  understand  the 
good  points  of  the  dog.  I  think  the  breeding  of 
this  dog  appeals  to  a  wider  class  of  people  than 
any  other  breed,  from  the  man  of  wealth  who 
produces  the  puppies  to  be  given  away  as  wed- 
ding presents  or  Christmas  gifts,  down  to  the 
lone  widow,  or  the  man  incapacitated  for  hard 
work,  who  must  do  something  to  keep  the  wolf 
from  the  door,  and  who  finds  in  the  raising  of 
these  charming  little  pets  a  certain  source  of 
income  and  a  delightful  occupation  combined. 
I  do  not  think  that  any  one  may  apprehend  that 
the  market  will  ever  be  overstocked,  for  as  the 
dog  becomes  known,  the  desire  for  possession 
among  all  classes  will  be  correspondingly  in- 
creased, and  as  he  is  strictly  an  American 
product,  no  importation  from  Europe  can  pos- 
sibly supply  winners,  or  specially  good  dogs,  as 
is  the  case  with  almost  all  other  breeds.  And 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  43 

the  fact  is  demonstrated  that  dogs  of  A  I  qual- 
ity can  be  produced  on  American  soil. 

There  are  two  or  three  subjects  that  demand 
the  most  careful  consideration  at  the  hands  of 
the  breeder,  and  to  which  I  am  afraid  in  many 
cases  not  particular  enough  attention  is  given. 
I  refer  in  the  first  place  to  the  question  of  in- 
breeding, an  admitted  necessity  in  the  early 
history  of  the  dog,  but  in  the  writer's  estimation 
very  harmful  and  much  to  be  discouraged  at  the 
present  time.  I  will  yield  to  no  man  in  the 
belief  that  the  fact  is  absolutely  and  scientifi- 
cally true  that  close  consanguineous  breeding 
is  the  most  powerful  means  of  determining 
character  and  establishing  type,  in  many  in- 
stances justifiable  as  the  only  correct  way  to  fix 
desirable  qualities,  both  physical  and  mental, 
but  extreme  care  must  be  exercised  that  both 
parties  to  the  union  must  be  of  good  quality  and 
not  share  the  same  defects,  and  where  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  extra  good  qualities  on  the  one 
side  more  than  outbalance  the  defects  of  the 
other,  and  extreme  precaution  must  always  be 
paid  to  avoid  carrying  this  system  too  far. 

In  regard  to  intense  inbreeding,  as  in  the  case 
of  mating  dogs  from  the  same  sire  and  dam,  or 
the  bitch  to  her  sire,  or  dam  to  son,  I  thing  it  is 
highly  objectionable  and  should  never  under 
any  circumstances  be  resorted  to;  failure  will 


44  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

ensue.  Far  better  to  let  the  bitch  go  by  un- 
mated  and  lose  six  months  than  mate  her  in  this 
way  because  a  suitable  stud  dog  was  not  at  the 
time  available.  I  believe  that  this  inbreeding 
is  productive  of  excessive  nervousness,  weak- 
ness in  physical  form,  the  impairment  of  breed- 
ing functions,  and  the  predisposition  to  dis- 
ease in  its  multiform  manifestations. 

That  eminent  authority,  Sir  John  Seabright, 
the  originator  of  the  early  race  of  bantams, 
known  as  the  silver  and  gold  spangled  Sea- 
brights,  also  conducted  an  exhaustive  series  of 
experiments  on  the  inbreeding  of  dogs  and  dem- 
onstrated to  an  absolute  certainty  that  the  sys- 
tem was  productive  of  weakness,  diminished 
growth,  and  general  weediness.  His  experiments 
had  a  world-wide  reputation  and  the  writer,  when 
he  first  visited  his  large  estates  near  London,  little 
dreamed  that  in  after  years  he  would  personally 
benefit  by  Sir  John's  work.  I  believe  the  pre- 
vailing ideas  in  many  quarters  a  number  of  years 
ago,  as  to  the  general  stupidity  of  the  Boston 
terrier  (and  in  some  isolated  cases  I  believed 
well  founded),  arose  from  the  fact  that  it  was 
popularly  believed  he  was  too  much  inbred.  I 
will  give  just  one  case  of  inbreeding  in  our  ken- 
nels, tried  for  experiment's  sake,  as  a  warning. 
I  took  the  most  rugged  bitch  I  possessed  and 
mated  her  to  her  sire,  a  dog  of  equal  vigor.  The 


Edward  Axtell,  Jr., 
and  One  of  His  Boston  Terriers 


E.  S.  Pollard, 
A  Large  and  Successful  Breeder 


St.  Botolph's  Mistress  King 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  45 

result  was  six  puppies,  strong,  and  as  handsome 
as  a  picture.  When  two  months  old  they  were 
sold  to  different  parties  on  the  Eastern  sea- 
board, from  Philadelphia  up  to  the  Canadian 
line.  This  was  before  the  West  had  "caught  on'* 
to  the  breed.  About  two  months  later  I  had  a 
letter  from  New  York  stating  that  the  pup  was 
growing  finely,  but  that  he  seemed  to  be  hard 
of  hearing.  A  few  days  after  this  I  received 
another  epistle  from  Salem  that  the  puppy  I  had 
sent  on  was  believed  to  be  stone  deaf.  It  would 
be  superfluous  to  add  that  the  purchase  money 
was  returned,  and  the  other  four  customers  were 
notified  of  the  condition  of  the  others.  It  may 
seem  somewhat  incredible,  but  two  out  of  the 
four  stated  that  they  believed  the  pups  had  de- 
fective hearing,  and  declined  to  receive  their 
money  back,  and  the  other  two  stated  that  be- 
fore my  notification  they  had  never  observed 
that  their  dogs  were  deaf.  Here  was  a  case  of 
the  entire  litter  being  perfect  practically  in  every 
other  respect,  and  yet  every  one  stone  deaf,  and 
in  my  estimation  not  worth  a  sou.  As  we  have 
never  had  a  case  of  deafness  in  our  kennels  be- 
fore or  since,  we  attribute  this  solely  to  in- 
breeding. 

Another  important  feature,  little  understood, 
and  frequently  much  dreaded,  is  that  of  Ante- 
cedent Impressions.  When  a  bitch  has  been 


46  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

served  by  a  dog  not  of  her  own  breed  it  has  been 
proven  in  extremely  rare  cases  that  the  subse- 
quent litters  by  dogs  of  htr  own  kind,  showed 
traces  (or,  at  least,  one  or  more  of  the  litter 
did)  of  the  dog  she  was  first  lined  by.  The 
theory  by  physiologists  is  that  the  life-giving 
germ,  implanted  by  the  first  dog,  penetrates  the 
serous  coat  of  the  ovary,  burrows  into  its  paren- 
chyma, and  seeks  out  immature  ova,  not  to  be 
ripened  and  discharged  perhaps  for  years,  and 
to  produce  the  modifying  influence  described. 
Many  breeders  are  unwise  enough  to  believe 
that  a  bitch  the  victim  of  misalliance  is  practic- 
ally ruined  for  breeding  purposes  and  discard 
her.  While,  of  course,  we  believe  in  the  fact  of 
Antecedent  Impressions,  we  think  they  are  as 
rare  as  the  proverbial  visit  of  angels.  We  have 
given  this  subject  serious  attention  and  have 
tried  numerous  experiments,  using  various  dogs 
to  ward  our  bitches,  including  a  pug,  spaniel, 
wire-haired  fox  terrier,  pointer,  and  perhaps  one 
other,  and  we  have  never  seen  a  trace  of  these 
matings  in  subsequent  litters.  One  case,  for 
example:  In  another  part  of  this  book  we  al- 
lude to  a  dog  spoken  of  by  Dr.  Mott,  in  his 
"Treatise  of  the  Boston  Terrier,"  named  "Mug- 
gy Dee."  The  grandmother  of  this  charming 
little  dog  was  bred  in  our  kennels,  by  name,  "St. 
Botolph's  Bessie."  We  sold  her  to  a  Boston 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  47 

banker,  and  she  matured  into  a  beautiful  dog. 
Upon  coming  in  season  she  was  unfortunately 
warded  by  a  spaniel  on  the  estate,  which  so  dis- 
gusted her  owner  that  he  gave  her  to  the  coach- 
man. She  proved  a  perfect  gold  mine  to  him, 
as  she  raised  two  litters  of  elegant  ideal  Bostons 
every  twelve  months  for  a  great  number  of  years, 
and  never  at  any  time  showed  any  result  of  the 
misalliance. 

On  the  subject  of  Mental  Impressions  we  need 
say  but  little,  as  the  chances  of  it  ever  taking 
place  are  so  small  that  we  merely  give  it  a  passing 
notice  and  say  that  in  all  our  experience  we 
have  never  been  troubled  with  a  case.  For  the 
benefit  of  the  uninitiated  will  briefly  state  that 
this  consists  of  the  mental  impression  made  on 
the  mind  of  a  bitch  by  a  dog  with  whom  she 
has  been  denied  sexual  intercourse,  affecting  the 
progeny  resulting  from  the  union  of  another  dog 
with  the  bitch,  generally  in  regard  to  the  color, 
and  this  strange  phenomena,  when  it  does  occur, 
is  apt  to  mark  usually  one  puppy  of  each  litter. 

A  fact  not  generally  known  by  breeders  is  that 
if  a  bitch  is  lined  by  a  second  dog  at  any  time 
during  heat,  the  chances  are  that  a  second  con- 
ception may  take  place,  resulting  in  two  distinct 
sets  of  pups,  half-sister  or  brother  to  each  other. 
This  fact  we  have  proven. 

There  is  one  other  important  feature  which 


<|B  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

must  be  noticed  before  this  chapter  is  closed,  and 
that  is  Predetermining  the  Sex.  Most  breeders, 
of  course,  are  anxious  to  have  male  pups  pre- 
dominate in  a  litter,  and  it  is  a  demonstrated 
fact  that  ordinary  mating  produces  from  four  to 
ten  per  cent  more  males  than  females.  For  a 
number  of  years  I  had  always  believed  it  was 
impossible  to  breed  so  as  to  attain  more  than 
the  excess  of  males  above  noted,  but  several 
years  ago  I  accepted  an  invitation  from  Mr. 
Burnett,  of  Deerfoot  Farm,  of  Southboro  (the 
owner  of  Kate  or  Gyp,  the  mother  of  the  breed), 
to  spend  the  day.  He  was,  as  will  be  recalled, 
one  of  the  earliest  and  most  enthusiastic  breed- 
ers of  the  Boston,  and  is  now  a  scientific  breeder 
of  choice  dairy  stock.  We  had  been  discussing 
a  number  of  problems  in  regard  to  raising  stock, 
when  he  exclaimed:  "Mr.  Axtell,  I  believe  I 
have  discovered  the  problem  of  sex  breeding.  If 
I  want  heifer  calves,  I  breed  the  cow  as  soon 
as  she  comes  in  season.  If  a  bull  calf  is  wanted, 
the  cow  is  served  just  before  going  out  of  sea- 
son." And  said  he,  "In  nineteen  experiments  I 
have  only  been  unsuccessful  once,  and  I  think 
you  might  try  the  same  plan  with  your  Bostons." 
I  have  since  done  so,  and  although  not  nearly 
the  same  measure  of  success  has  attended  my 
experiments  as  his,  yet  by  breeding  bitches  at 
the  close  of  the  heat  rather  than  at  its  com- 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  49 

mencement,  the  number  of  males  in  a  litter  has 
materially  increased.  Again,  I  find  if  a  young, 
vigorous  dog  is  bred  to  a  similar  bitch,  females 
will  predominate  in  the  offspring,  whereas,  if 
the  same  bitch  is  bred  to  a  much  older  dog,  an 
excess  of  males  will  generally  occur.  Occa- 
sionally some  dogs  will  be  met  with  that  no 
matter  what  mated  with,  will  produce  largely 
males,  and  some  the  opposite  of  this  will  nearly 
always  produce  females,  and  some  bitches,  no 
matter  how  bred,  do  likewise,  but  these  are  ex- 
ceptions, and  not  the  rule.  A  kennel  man  need 
never  worry  about  sex,  inasmuch  as  good  dogs 
of  either  gender  will  always  be  in  demand. 

The  law  of  Selection  must  be  carefully  at- 
tended to  to  insure  the  bes-t  results.  Choose 
your  best  and  most  typical  bitches  for  breeding, 
especially  those  that  approximate  rather  to  the 
bull  type  and  are  rather  long  in  body  and  not 
too  narrow  in  their  hind  quarters.  I  do  not  care 
if  the  dam  has  a  somewhat  longer  tail  than  the 
dog,  my  experience  has  been  that  a  bitch  pos- 
sessing a  tight  screw  tail  did  not  do  quite  as  well 
in  whelping  as  one  having  one  a  little  longer. 
Do  not  consider  this  as  suggesting  that  the  tail  is 
a  matter  of  secondary  importance,  by  no  means, 
it  is  of  primal  import,  and  too  much  attention 
can  never  be  given  to  the  production  of  this 
distinguishing  mark  of  the  dog.  A  Boston 


50  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

without  a  good  tail  is  almost  as  worthless  as  a 
check  without  a  signature. 

Be  sure  at  the  time  of  breeding  the  bitch  is 
free  from  worms.  A  great  many  are  troubled 
whose  owners  are  totally  ignorant  of  the  fact, 
and  this  frequently  accounts  for  non-success. 
Always  remember  that  worms  thrive  the  most 
when  the  alimentary  canal  is  kept  loaded  with 
indigestible  or  half-digested  food,  and  that 
liquid  foods  are  favorable  to  these  pests,  while 
solids  tend  to  expel  them.  Freshly  powdered 
areca  nut,  in  teaspoonful  doses,  and  the  same 
quantity  of  a  mixture  of  oil  of  male  fern  and 
olive  oil,  three  parts  oil  and  one  part  male  fern 
oil,  I  find  are  both  excellent  vermifuges  to  give 
to  matured  dogs.  Give  a  dose  and  two  days 
after  repeat,  and  this,  I  think,  will  be  found 
generally  effectual. 

Do  not,  on  any  account,  allow  the  breeding 
stock  to  become  too  fat.  Proper  feeding  and 
exercise,  of  course,  will  prevent  this.  It  will 
be  found  if  this  is  not  attended  to  that  the 
organs  of  generation  have  lost  their  functional 
activity,  and  if  pups  are  produced,  are,  as  a 
rule,  small  and  lack  vigor.  My  experience  with 
Bostons  is  that  it  is  very  desirable  to  breed  them 
as  often  as  they  come  in  season ;  if  allowed  to  go 
by  it  will  be  found  increasingly  harder  to  get 
them  in  whelp.  I  think  a  stud  dog,  to  last  for  a 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  51 

reasonable  number  of  years,  should  not  be  used 
more  frequently  than  once  a  week.  I  have  found 
it  pays  best  to  give  the  bitch  in  whelp  a 
generous  feed  of  raw  meat  daily.  It  often 
effectually  prevents  the  puppy-eating  habit. 

In  closing  these  general  hints  on  breeding,  al- 
low me  to  say  there  is  no  reason  whatever,  if 
one  has  a  genuine  love  for  the  dog  and  is  thor- 
oughly in  earnest  in  his  attentions  to  it,  why  the 
breeding  problem  should  possess  any  great 
terrors  for  him.  Perhaps,  before  closing  this 
chapter,  it  might  be  well  to  write  on  one  or  two 
matters,  practically  of  no  special  import,  but 
which  may  at  times  be  instructive  and  illuminate 
some  few  incidents  that  may  puzzle  the  be- 
ginner. 

I  allude  first  to  that  strange  phenomena  known 
as  "false  heat,"  to  which  Bostons,  more  than 
any  other  breed  with  which  the  writer  is  fa- 
miliar, are  liable,  and  which  consists  of  the  bitch 
coming  "in  season"  between  the  two  periods  in 
the  year  when  she  legitimately  should  do  so,  and 
after  being  warded  by  the  dog,  is,  of  course,  not 
in  whelp.  The  next  is  somewhat  akin  to  this, 
and  consists  of  the  fact  that  the  bitch,  after 
being  properly  warded  by  a  dog,  notwithstanding 
all  the  external  evidences  of  being  in  whelp, 
even  to  the  possession  of  milk  in  her  breasts  at 
the  expiration  of  the  ninth  week,  is  not  so,  nei- 


52  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

ther  has  she  been.  If,  in  addition  to  the  above 
symptoms,  and  there  has  been  unusual  abdom- 
inal, uterine,  and  breast  enlargement,  with  a  dis- 
charge of  blood  for  several  days  and  no  pups  are 
in  evidence,  then  in  this  case  it  may  safely  be 
concluded  that  the  offspring  fell  victims  to  the 
puppy-eating  habit,  in  which  case  a  close  watch 
must  be  kept  on  the  bitch  at  the  next  time  of 
whelping,  as  this  is  a  curable  habit  generally.  I 
have  had  two  cases  to  my  knowledge,  both  of 
which  were  cured  I  think,  largely  by  giving 
these  two  bitches  all  the  raw  meat  they  could 
possibly  eat  while  in  whelp.  One  other  fact, 
related  somewhat  to  the  last  two,  and  one  that 
the  inexperienced  breeder  must  give  intelligent 
heed  to,  is  that  some  bitches  go  through  the 
entire  period  of  gestation  without  presenting  a 
single  sign  of  pregnancy  appreciable  to  the 
ordinary  observer.  Of  course,  to  a  dog  man  the 
facts  of  the  case  would  in  all  probability  be 
known,  but  I  shall  have  to  confess,  after  years 
of  extended  experience  I  myself  have  been  de- 
ceived two  or  three  times.  Never  give  up  hope 
until  the  last  gun  is  fired. 

I  think  it  will  generally  be  considered  a  good 
plan,  if  the  bitch  is  expected  to  whelp  in  the 
kennel  she  has  been  in  the  habit  of  occupying, 
to  thoroughly  clean  out  and  wash  with  boiling 
water  the  box  or  corner  she  will  use,  to  destroy 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  53 

all  eggs  and  worms  that  may  chance  to  be  there. 
I  also  deem  it  a  good  plan  to  rub  gently  into  her 
coat  and  over  her  breasts  precipitated  sulphur 
two  or  three  days  before  the  expected  arrival. 
If  the  bitch  is  suffering  from  a  severe  case  of 
constipation  at  this  time,  a  dose  of  castor  oil 
will  be  of  service,  otherwise,  let  her  severely 
alone.  A  bitch  that  is  in  good  health,  properly 
fed,  that  has  free  access  to  good  wholesome 
drinking  water,  can  safely  be  left  without  a 
cathartic.  Another  important  fact  to  be  observed 
in  breeding  Bostons,  is  the  suitability  of  certain 
stud  dogs  for  particular  bitches.  It  used  to  be 
my  belief  for  a  number  of  years,  and  I  suppose 
many  dog  men  today  entertain  the  same  idea, 
that  a  first  class  dog  in  every  respect  mated  with 
a  number  of  equally  well  bred  typical  bitches 
would  produce  on  an  average  a  comparatively 
uniform  type  of  pups.  Nothing  could  be  further 
from  actual  results.  The  same  dog  bred,  say  to 
four  females  practically  alike  in  style,  size,  con- 
formation, color  and  markings,  and  from  com- 
mon ancestry,  will  give  perchance  in  one  litter 
two  or  three  crackerjacks,  and  the  other  three 
will  contain  only  medium  pups.  This  same 
thing  will  occur  every  time  the  dogs  are  bred. 
This  is  because  the  bitch  with  the  choice  pups 
and  the  dog  "nick/'  a  phrase  signifying  that 
some  psychological  union  has  taken  place,  not 


54  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

understood  by  man,  in  which  the  best  points  of 
both  dogs  are  reproduced  in  their  offspring. 
Whenever  one  finds  a  dog  eminently  suited  to 
his  bitch,  do  not  make  a  change,  always  breed 
to  the  same  dog.  I  am  perfectly  cognizant  of 
the  fact  that  a  great  temptation  presents  itself 
to  want  to  breed  to  a  better  dog,  a  noted  prize 
winner  probably,  expecting,  of  course,  that  in- 
asmuch as  the  dam  did  so  well  with  a  somewhat 
inferior  dog,  she  must  of  necessity  do  corre- 
spondingly better  with  an  A  I  dog.  The  rea- 
soning is  perfectly  correct,  but  the  result  does 
not  correspond.  Very  inferior  pups  to  her 
previous  litter  by  the  inferior  dog  surprise  and 
disgust  the  owner.  In  our  kennels  we  have  had 
numerous  examples  of  this.  One  bitch  espe- 
cially, years  ago,  when  bred  to  "Buster,"  always 
gave  first  class  puppies  of  uniform  type  each 
litter,  but  the  same  bitch  bred  to  some  noted 
prize  winner  always  gave  ordinary  pups.  An- 
other bitch  that  at  the  present  time  is  practically 
retiring  from  the  puppy  raising  business  from 
age,  when  bred  to  Hickey's  Teddy  IV.,  always 
had  in  her  litter  four  crackerjacks  out  of  the 
seven  or  eight  she  always  presented  us  with ; 
when  bred  to  any  other  dog  (and  we  have  tried 
her  with  several),  no  matter  how  good,  never 
had  a  first  class  pup  in  the  litter.  Hence  I  repeat, 
if  a  dog1  "nicks"  with  your  bitch,  resulting  in  good 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  55 

pups,  do  not  on  any  account  ever  change.  Let 
the  marriage  last  for  life.  Somewhat  closely 
connected  with  this  last  fact  is  another  equally 
important,  the  fact  of  prepotency  in  a  stud  dog, 
consisting  of  the  capacity  on  the  part  of  the  dog 
to  transmit  his  share  of  characteristics  to  his 
offspring  in  a  far  larger  degree  than  is  im- 
parted by  the  average  dog.  Those  who  closely 
follow  the  breed  will  discover  how  certain  dogs 
do,  and  have  done  in  the  past,  from  "Barnard's 
Mike"  down  to  certain  dogs  of  the  present  time, 
stamp  the  hall-mark  of  excellence  on  all  the 
pups  they  sire,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree. 
Happy  are  those  owners  of  dams  who  are  aware 
of  this  important  fact  and  take  pains  to  use  in 
the  stud  dogs  of  this  character.  I  have  some- 
times wondered  how  much  Barnard's  Mike  was 
worth  to  the  breed.  It  will  be  doubtless  re- 
membered by  horsemen  that  the  great  trainer, 
Hiram  Woodruff,  speaking  of  the  importation 
of  the  thoroughbred,  "Messenger,"  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  American  trotter,  in  1788,  said 
that  "when  Messenger  charged  down  the 
gang-plank,  in  landing  from  the  ship,  the  value 
of  not  less  than  one  hundred  million  dollars 
struck  our  soil."  He  would  be  a  very  courage- 
ous man  who  would  dare  compute  the  worth  of 
"Mike"  or  "Buster"  or  "Sullivan's  Punch," 
when  viewed  from  the  same  standpoint. 


CHAPTER  V. 
REARING  OF  PUPPIES. 


Assuming  that  the  bitch  has  successfully 
whelped  and  all  goes  well,  there  is  practically 
nothing  to  do  beyond  seeing  that  the  mother  is 
well  fed,  in  which  good  meat,  and  where  there 
is  a  good  sized  litter  of  pups,  a  liberal  supply  of 
milk  and  oatmeal  gruel,  is  furnished.  In  case 
the  mother's  supply  of  milk  is  inadequate,  then 
a  foster  mother  must  be  obtained,  or  the  pups 
brought  up  on  a  bottle.  If  a  bottle,  then  a 
small  one,  kept  scrupulously  clean,  with  a  rub- 
ber nipple  that  fits  easily  without  compression. 
The  pups  must  be  kept  perfectly  warm,  away 
from  draughts,  in  a  basket  lined  with  flannel, 
and  fed  the  first  week  every  hour  and  a  half 
day  and  night,  every  two  hours  the  second  week, 
and  three  hours  in  the  third.  I  find  that  good, 
fresh  cow's  milk,  diluted  one-quarter  with  warm 
water,  is  the  nearest  approach  to  their  natural 
food.  After  three  weeks  they  can  be  fed  less 
frequently  with  a  spoon,  and  can  readily  be 
taught  to  lap  up  the  milk.  Where  it  is  practi- 
cal, it  is  always  advisable  to  have  two  or  more 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  57 

bitches  whelp  together,  and  then  the  pups  are 
provided  for  if  anything  happens. 

In  case  the  bitch  should  lose  her  pups,  she 
must  be  fed  sparingly  and  her  breasts  should  be 
gently  rubbed  with  camphorated  oil  to  prevent 
caking.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  Boston  terrier 
pups  to  be  born  with  hare-lips,  in  which  case 
it  is  far  better  to  put  them  to  sleep  at  once,  as 
they  rarely  ever  live  and  are  a  deformity  if  they 
do.  Be  sure  that  the  puppies'  quarters  have 
abundance  of  sunshine  and  fresh  air,  or  they 
will  never  thrive  as  they  should,  but  will  be 
prone  to  disease.  They  are  very  much  like  plants 
in  this  respect.  When  the  pups  are  four  weeks 
old  (I  used  to  commence  at  five,  but  so  many 
deaths  have  occurred  in  my  kennels  that  of  late 
I  have  commenced  a  week  earlier),  give  them  a 
mild  vermifuge  for  worms.  No  matter  if  they 
do  not  show  symptoms  of  harboring  these  pests, 
do  it  just  the  same.  You  will  doubtless  dis- 
cover the  reason  very  soon.  Only  those  who 
have  had  experience  in  handling  and  breeding 
puppies  are  aware  of  their  danger  from  worms. 
I  know  of  nothing  more  disappointing  than  to 
go  to  the  kennel  and  find  the  fine  litter  of  pups 
that  looked  so  promising,  and  on  which  such 
high  hopes  had  been  placed,  with  distended 
stomachs  and  the  flesh  literally  wasted  away. 
When  this  is  the  case  do  not  waste  a  moment, 


58  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

administer  the  vermifuge.  If  the  intestinal  walla 
have  not  yet  been  perforated  by  these  pests,  or 
too  great  an  inflammation  of  the  alimentary  canal 
produced,  or  convulsions  occasioned  by  the  im- 
pression of  the  worms  upon  the  head  center  of 
the  nervous  system  have  not  yet  taken  place,  the 
pups,  or  most  of  them,  can  be  saved.  Hence  the 
need  of  taking  time  by  the  forelock  and  getting 
rid  of  the  worms  before  they  get  in  their  work. 
There  are  all  kinds  of  worm  medicines  on  the 
market,  and  I  have  tried  them  all.  While  some 
are  all  right  for  older  pups,  many  of  them  have 
proven  too  harsh  in  their  effects  and  puppies  as 
well  as  worms  have  been  destroyed.  The  fol- 
lowing recipe  I  know  will  rid  the  little  tots  of 
their  trouble  without  injuring  them: 

Wormseed  oil,  sixteen  drops. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  two  drops. 

Oil  of  anise,  sixteen  drops. 

Olive  oil,  three  drachms. 

Castor  oil,  four  drachms. 

Put  into  a  two-ounce  bottle,  warm  slightly,  shake 
well,  and  give  one-half  teaspoon ful,  floated  on 
the  same  quantity  of  milk.  If  the  worms  do  not 
pass  away,  repeat  the  dose  the  next  day. 

To  those  who  would  rather  administer  the 
dose  in  the  form  of  a  capsule,  then  I  strongly 
recommend  Spratts*  Puppy  Capsules,  except 
when  the  pups  are  unusually  small.  I  have  just 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  59 

written  to  the  Spratts  people,  telling  them  that 
their  puppy  capsules  are  too  large  for  very 
small  pups  of  the  Boston  terrier  breed,  and  their 
manager  has  assured  me  he  will  have  some  made 
half  the  size.  I  think  when  the  pups  are  about 
seven  weeks  old,  when  they  are  generally 
weaned,  it  is  good,  safe,  precautionary  measure 
to  give  them  another  dose  of  worm  medicine, 
when  we  use, 

Santonine,  four  grains. 

Wormseed  oil,  twenty  drops. 

Oil  of  turpentine,  three  drops. 

Olive  of  anise,  sixteen  drops. 

Olive  oil,  two  drachms. 

Castor  oil,  six  drachms. 

Warm  slightly,  shake  thoroughly  and  give  one 
teaspoonful  on  an  empty  stomach,  and  I  think 
it  will  be  found  that  the  worms  will  be  elimin- 
ated. I  have  found  it  also  a  good  plan  every 
little  while  to  give  a  teaspoonful  of  linseed  oil 
to  young  dogs.  For  several  years  I  was  troubled 
with  the  loss  of  puppies  eight  or  nine  weeks  old 
that  had  been  effectually  freed  from  worms,  that 
seemed  to  gradually  fade  away,  as  it  were,  but 
an  autopsy  plainly  revealed  the  cause.  The 
mother,  after  eating  a  hearty  meal,  would  return 
and  vomit  what  she  had  eaten  on  the  hay  which 
the  puppies  would  greedily  devour.  In  so  doing 
they  swallowed  some  of  the  hay,  which  effected 


6o  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

a  lodgment  in  the  small  intestines,  not  being 
digested,  until  enough  was  collected  to  cause  a 
stoppage,  and  the  puppies  consequently  died. 
The  cause  being  removed,  we  lost  no  more  pups. 
As  infection  is  always  in  lurk  in  kennels  it  is,  I 
think,  always  advisable  to  give  puppies  that  have 
passed  the  tenth  week  a  dose  of  vermifuge  oc- 
casionally until  after  the  ninth  month.  When 
the  kennels  are  kept  perfectly  free  from  fleas 
and  other  noxious  insects,  during  the  warm 
weather  a  thorough  good  washing  once  a  week 
is  of  great  benefit  to  the  growing  stock,  and  I 
know  of  no  soap  so  good  to  use  as  the  following : 

i  Ib.  of  Crown  Soap  (English  harness  soap). 

1-2  ounce  of  mild  mercurial  ointment  (com- 
monly called  by  the  chemists  "blue  oint- 
ment"). 

I  ounce  of  powdered  camphor. 
Mix  thoroughly,  and  take  a  very  small  quantity 
and  rub  into  the  coat,  thoroughly  rinsing  after- 
wards, followed  by  careful  drying.  Every  day 
a  good  brushing  will  be  found  of  great  benefit, 
and  when  an  extra  luster  is  desired  in  the  coat, 
as  for  the  show  bench,  there  is  nothing  that  will 
do  the  trick  as  readily  as  to  give  the  coat  a 
thorough  good  dressing  with  newly  ground  yel- 
low corn  meal,  carefully  brushing  out  all  the 
particles,  which  will  leave  the  coat  immacu- 
lately clean. 


Champion  Yankee  Doodle  Pride 


Champion  Dallen's  Spider 


Champion  Caddy  Belle 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  61 

In  regard  to  feeding  the  pups  after  weaning, 
it  will  be  found  an  excellent  plan  to  feed  until 
ten  weeks  old  four  times  a  day,  from  that 
age  until  six  months  old,  three  times  daily,  and 
from  that  age  until  maturity,  twice  daily.  I 
think  a  good  drink  of  milk  once  a  day  excellent, 
and  where  there  are  enough  fresh  table  scraps 
left  to  feed  the  pups,  nothing  better  can  be 
given.  Where  the  number  of  dogs  kept  is  too 
numerous  to  be  supplied  in  this  way,  then  a 
good  meal  of  puppy  buscuits  in  the  morning, 
a  good  meal  of  meat  (fresh  butcher's  trimmings, 
not  too  fat,  bought  daily)  with  vegetables  at 
noon  and  at  night  well  cooked  oatmeal  or  rice 
with  milk  makes  an  excellent  safe  diet.  Good, 
large  bones  with  some  meat  on  are  always  in 
order,  as  all  dogs  crave,  and  I  think  ought  to 
have,  some  meat  raw.  Be  careful  not  to  over 
feed,  and  above  all  do  not  give  the  dogs  sweets. 
When  a  puppy  is  delicate  or  a  shy  feeder,  an 
egg  beaten  up  in  milk  forms  an  excellent  change, 
and  good  fresh  beef  or  lamb  minced  up  will 
tempt  the  most  delicate  appetite.  Give  the  pup- 
pies a  chance  to  get  out  on  the  fresh  grass  and 
see  what  Dr.  Green  will  do  for  them.  Above  all 
see  that  they  always  have  free  access  to  pure, 
cool  water. 

I  frequently  hear  numerous  complaints  of 
dog's  eyes,  especially  pups  that  have  been  newly 


62  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

weaned,  becoming  inflamed,  and  in  many  cases 
small  ulcers  form.  The  same  thing  has  occa- 
sionally happened  in  our  kennels,  and  after  try- 
ing practically  all  the  eye  washes  on  the  market, 
sometimes  without  success,  I  applied  to  a  friend 
of  mine  in  the  laboratory  of  the  Massachusetts 
General  Hospital  and  was  advised  by  him  to 
wash  the  dog's  eyes  two  or  three  times  a  day 
with  a  ten  per  cent,  solution  of  argyrol,  which 
has  been  eminently  successful.  For  slight  in- 
flammations a  boracic  acid  wash,  that  any  chem- 
ist will  put  up,  will  usually  effect  a  cure. 

The  several  forms  of  skin  disease  which  cause 
so  much  disquiet  to  young  stock,  preventing  rest 
and  hindering  growth,  are  sometimes  due  to 
faults  in  feeding  which  upset  the  work  of  the 
assimilative  organs,  and  are  to  a  great  extent 
preventable.  Not  so  those  that  are  due  to  the 
presence  of  a  parasite  that  burrows  under  the 
skin  and  produces  that  condition  of  the  coat 
commonly  known  as  mange.  A  dog  may  go  for 
some  considerable  time  unsuspected,  but  the 
sooner  it  is  discovered  and  attended  to  the  bet- 
ter, as  it  is  highly  contagious.  The  first  thing 
to  do  is  to  take  an  equal  amount  of  powdered 
sulphur  and  lard,  make  a  paste,  and  rub  it 
thoroughly  into  the  coat  of  the  dog  and  let  it 
stay  on  for  two  days.  Of  course,  the  dog  will 
lick  off  all  he  can,  but  the  internal  application 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  ^3 

will  be  good  for  him.  At  the  end  of  the  second 
day  take  the  dog  and  give  him  a  thorough  wash 
with  good  castile  soap,  and  after  drying  rub 
into  his  coat  thoroughly  (care  being  taken  that 
none  gets  into  the  eyes  or  ears)  crude  petroleum. 
Let  this  stay  on  one  day,  and  without  washing 
take  this  time  enough  benzine  and  powdered 
sulphur  to  make  a  paste  and  rub  in  as  before. 
It  will  be  found  that  this  has  penetrated  deeper 
than  the  lard  and  sulphur  did  and  has  doubtless 
reached  the  parasites.  Repeat  this  twice,  wash- 
ing in  between,  after  which  give  the  dog  a  good 
dressing  of  petroleum  once  a  day  for  a  week, 
followed  by  a  week's  anointing  with  the  benzine, 
and  dollars  to  doughnuts,  the  dog's  coat  will 
come  out  all  right.  A  good  dressing  to  be  ap- 
plied occasionally  afterwards,  well  rubbed  into 
the  skin,  is  composed  of  equal  parts  of  castor, 
olive  and  kerosene  oils,  thoroughly  mixed.  If 
the  hair  has  long  been  off  apply  the  tincture  of 
cantharides,  or  the  sulphate  of  quinine  to  the 
bald  spots,  taking  care  the  dog  does  not  lick 
it  with  his  tongue.  These  two  remedies  are 
best  used  in  the  form  of  an  ointment,  twice  a 
day. 

In  regard  to  fleas  or  lice  on  the  young  stock, 
a  good  wash  in  not  too  strong  a  solution 
of  any  of  the  standard  tar  products  is  usually 
perfectly  effectual.  One  other  disease,  and  that 


64  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

the  most  deadly  of  all,  remains  to  be  considered, 
viz.,  distemper.  This  is  largely  contracted  at 
the  dog  shows,  or  being  brought  into  contact 
with  dogs  suffering  from  the  disease.  I  do  not 
believe  it  is  ever  spontaneous,  and  dogs  kept 
away  from  infected  stock  will  be  exempt.  Well 
do  I  remember  my  first  dose  of  it.  I  had  loaned 
a  friend  of  mine  a  young  dog  raised  by  him  to 
show,  as  he  was  trying  for  a  prize  for  Druid 
Merk  as  a  stud  dog.  The  dog  in  question, 
Merk  Jr.,  came  back  from  the  show  rather  de- 
pressed, and  in  a  few  days  I  had  my  entire  ken- 
nel down  with  the  disease.  It  was  in  the  spring 
of  the  year,  cold  and  damp,  and  I  succeeded  in 
saving  just  one  of  the  young  dogs  and  Merk  Jr. 
After  a  thorough  fumigation  with  a  great  quan- 
tity of  sulphur  I  managed  to  get  the  kennels  dis- 
infected, and  did  not  have  an  outbreak  again 
for  several  years.  A  bitch  sent  to  be  bred  where 
a  case  of  distemper  existed,  unknown  to  me,  of 
course,  brought  it  to  my  place  again,  and  I 
had  the  same  unfortunate  experience  over 
again;  fortunately  this  time  it  was  in  the  early 
fall,  and  weather  conditions  being  auspicious, 
we  lost  only  about  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  young 
stock.  By  extreme  vigilance,  in  knowing  the 
conditions  of  the  kennels  where  bitches  were  sent 
for  service,  we  succeeded  in  escaping  an  at- 
tack for  several  years,  when  an  old  bitch  that 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  65 

had  had  distemper  several  years  previously, 
brought  back  the  germs  in  her  coat  from  a  ken- 
nel where  two  young  dogs,  just  home  from  the 
Boston  show,  were  sick  with  the  disease.  This 
was  in  the  spring,  the  weather  was  wet  and  cold, 
and  a  loss  of  practically  fifty  per  cent,  ensued. 

One  very  interesting  and  peculiar  feature  of 
the  last  attack  was,  that  half  the  dogs  sick  were 
given  the  best  medical  treatment  possible,  with  a 
loss  of  one-half ;  the  other  half  were  not  given  any 
medicine  whatever,  and  the  same  proportion 
died.  Of  course,  all  had  the  best  of  care,  nurs- 
ing, and  strict  attention  to  diet  paid. 

I  was  very  much  gratified  to  observe  that  in 
these  three  attacks  we  have  never  had  a  dog 
that  had  a  recurrence  of  the  disease,  and  what  is 
of  far  greater  importance,  have  never  had  any 
after  ill  effect  (with  one  solitary  exception, 
when  a  bitch  was  left  with  a  slight  twitching  of 
one  leg)  in  the  shape  of  the  number  of  ailments 
that  frequently  follow,  and  in  all  cases  after  the 
disease  had  run  its  course  the  dogs  seemed  in  a 
short  time  as  vigorous  as  ever.  This  we  at- 
tribute solely  to  the  strong,  vigorous  constitu- 
tions the  dogs  possessed.  A  breeder  who  raises 
many  dogs  will  have  a  very  difficult  feat  to  ac- 
complish if  he  aspires  to  enter  the  show  ring 
also.  In  our  case  we  were  convinced  at  the 
start  that  these  two  would  not  go  together. 


66  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

When  one  considers  that  dogs  returning  from 
shows  frequently  carry  the  germs  in  their  coats, 
and  even  the  crates  become  affected,  and  while 
not  suffering  from  the  disease  themselves,  will 
readily  convey  it  to  the  occupants  of  the  kennel 
they  come  in  contact  with,  also  that  the  kennel 
man  (unless  a  separate  man  has  charge  of  in- 
fected stock  exclusively)  can  readily  carry  the 
germs  on  his  hands,  person  and  clothing,  it  will 
instantly  be  perceived  what  a  risk  attends  the 
combined  breeding  and  showing.  I  think  it 
pays  best  in  the  long  run  to  keep  these  two 
branches  of  the  business  separate.  The  tempta- 
tion to  exhibit  will  be  very  strong,  but  before  do- 
ing so,  count  the  cost,  especially  if  much  valuable 
young  stock  is  in  the  kennels. 

In  regard  to  the  treatment  of  this  much 
dreaded  disease,  there  are  a  number  of  remedies 
on  the  market,  one  especially  that  has  lately 
come  out,  viz.,  "Moore's  Toxin,"  which  claims 
to  effect  a  cure,  but  having  never  used  it  can 
not  give  a  personal  endorsement.  Whatever 
remedy  is  tried,  remember  that  good  nursing, 
a  suitable  diet,  and  strict  hygienic  measures 
must  be  given.  Feed  generously  of  raw  eggs, 
beaten  up  in  milk,  in  which  a  few  drops  of  good 
brandy  are  added,  every  few  hours,  and  nour- 
ishing broths  and  gruels  may  be  given  for  a 
change.  If  the  eyes  are  affected  then  the 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  67 

boracic  acid  wash;  if  the  nose  is  stopped  up, 
then  a  good  steaming  from  the  kettle.  While 
the  dog  must  have  plenty  of  fresh  air,  be  sure 
to  avoid  draughts.  When  the  lungs  and 
bronchial  tubes  are  affected,  then  put  flannels 
wrung  out  of  hot  Arabian  balsam  around  neck 
and  chest,  and  give  suitable  doses  of  cod  liver 
oil.  If  the  disease  is  principally  seated  in  the 
intestines,  then  give  once  a  day  a  teaspoon ful  of 
castor  oil,  and  the  dog  should  be  fed  with  arrow 
root  gruel,  made  with  plenty  of  good  milk,  and  a 
very  little  lean  meat  (beef,  mutton,  or  chicken), 
once  a  day.  When  the  dog  is  on  the  high  road 
to  recovery  be  very  careful  he  does  not  get  cold, 
or  pneumonia  is  almost  certain  to  ensue.  Do  not 
forget  a  thorough  fumigation  of  the  kennels,  and 
all  utensils,  with  sulphur. 


CHAPTER  VL 
BREEDING  FOR   SIZE. 


When  I  joined  the  Boston  Terrier  Club  in 
1895,  there  were  two  classes  for  weight — ithe 
light  weight,  from  15  to  23  pounds,  and  the 
heavy  weight,  from  23  to  30  pounds,  inclusive. 
This,  of  course,  has  been  changed  since  to  three 
classes — the  light  weight,  12  and  not  to  exceed 
17  pounds;  middle  weight  class,  17  and  not  to 
exceed  22  pounds,  and  heavy  weight,  22  and  not 
to  exceed  28  pounds  and  a  class,  for  Toys, 
weighing  under  twelve  pounds,  has  been 
added.  The  Boston  terrier  dog  was  never 
intended,  in  the  writer's  estimation,  to  be 
a  dog  to  be  carried  in  one's  pocket,  but  such 
an  one  as  the  standard  calls  for,  and  which 
the  oldest  breeders  have  persistently  and  con- 
sistently bred.  To  my  mind  the  ideal  dog  is  one 
weighing  from  15  pounds  for  my  lady's  parlor, 
to  20  or  25  pounds  for  the  dog  intended  as  a 
man's  companion,  suitable  to  tackle  any  kind  of 
vermin,  and  to  be  an  ideal  watch  dog  in  the 
house  should  any  knights  of  the  dark  lantern 
make  their  nocturnal  calls. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  69 

During  the  past  few  years  we  have  had  (in 
common,  I  suppose,  with  all  large  breeders),  a 
great  many  orders  for  first  class  dogs,  typical 
in  every  respect,  weighing  from  30  to  40  pounds. 
The  constant  tendency  among  men  of  wealth 
today  is  to  move  from  the  city  onto  country  es- 
tates, where  they  stay  the  greater  part  of  the 
year,  and  in  many  cases  all  the  time.  They  are 
looking  for  first  class  watch  dogs  that  can  be 
kept  in  the  house  or  stable,  that  are  thoroughly 
reliable,  that  do  not  bring  too  much  mud  in  on 
their  coats,  that  do  not  cover  the  furniture  with 
long  hairs,  that  are  vigorous  enough  to  follow 
on  a  horseback  ride,  and  which  will  not  wander 
from  home.  I  was  in  the  company  of  a  party 
of  gentlemen  the  other  day  who  had  bought  a 
number  of  estates  in  a  town  twenty  miles  from 
Boston,  and  the  subject  of  a  suitable  breed  of 
dogs  for  their  residences  was  under  discussion. 
All  the  fashionable  breeds  were  gone  over,  some 
were  objected  to  because  they  barked  too  much, 
others  because  of  their  propensity  to  rush  out  at 
teams;  some  that  their  coats  were  too  long  and 
they  brought  a  great  deal  of  mud,  etc.,  in,  and 
still  others  that  their  fighting  disposition  was 
too  pronounced,  but  they  all  agreed  that  a  good- 
sized,  vigorous,  good  natured  Boston  terrier  just 
about  filled  the  bill.  Said  the  nephew  of  Senator 
Henry  Cabot  Lodge  to  me  last  week :  "Edward, 


70  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

I  want  a  Boston  big  enough  to  take  care  of  him- 
self if  anything  happens,  and  of  me  also,  if 
necessary,  weighing  about  35  pounds."  A  Bos- 
ton banker,  who  has  a  large  place  in  the  country, 
would  not  take  two  dogs  weighing  under  35 
pounds.  Last  week  I  received  a  letter  from  a 
Mr.  W.  B.  Bogert,  of  the  firm  of  Bogert,  Malt- 
by  &  Co.,  commission  grain  merchants,  Chicago, 
ordering  a  "very  heavy  weight  dog  of  kindly 
disposition  and  good  blood.  I  can  get  out  here 
any  number  of  light  weight  dogs,  but  I  do  not 
like  them.  Kindly  send  me  what  you  think  will 
suit  me."  These  are  only  a  few  sample  cases, 
and  I  can  say  that  my  orders  today  call  for  more 
first  class  heavy  weight  dogs  than  for  any  other 
size.  This  is,  of  course,  a  comparatively  new 
feature,  but  all  up  to  date  breeders  will  see  the 
necessity  of  being  able  to  fill  this  class  of  orders. 
The  small  sized  toys  will  always  be  in  demand, 
as  they  make  ideal  little  pets,  suitable  eminently 
for  a  city  flat  or  an  apartment  house,  to  be  car- 
ried by  the  lady  in  her  carriage,  or  to  accompany 
her  in  her  walks,  and  they  make  first  rate  play- 
mates for  children.  This  class  is  by  far  the 
hardest  to  breed.  For  best  results  mate  a  bitch 
weighing  about  fifteen  pounds,  that  comes  from 
a  numerous  litter,  to  a  twelve-pound  dog  that 
comes  from  small  ancestry.  Some  of  the  pups 
are  bound  to  be  small.  One  important  feature 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  71 

in  the  production  of  small  pups  is  this :  Bitches 
that  whelp  in  the  fall,  the  smallest  pups  are 
raised  from,  especially  if  the  pups  are  fed  a 
somewhat  restricted  diet,  whereas  puppies  that 
are  raised  in  the  spring,  that  are  generously  fed, 
and  have  vigorous  exercise  in  the  sunshine,  at- 
tain a  far  greater  size.  A  great  many  breeders 
underfeed  their  young  stock  to  stop  growth, 
which  I  believe  to  be  a  very  grave  mistake. 
There  is  no  question  whatever  it  accomplishes 
the  result  wished,  but  at  the  expense  of  stamina 
and  a  fine,  generous  disposition.  The  pups  from 
stock  advanced  in  years,  or  from  bitches  ex- 
cessively fat  are  very  apt  to  run  small,  as  are 
also  the  offspring  of  inbred  parents.  One  very 
important  fact  in  regard  to  breeding  for  large 
sized  dogs  to  be  considered  is  this:  While  a 
great  many  breeders  always  select  for  the  pro- 
duction of  large  pups  large  bitches  and  dogs, 
yet  experience  has  proven  that  the  majority  of 
big  ones  have  been  the  offspring  of  medium 
sized  dams  that  were  bred  to  strong,  heavy- 
boned  dogs  of  substance.  I  bred  a  bitch  weigh- 
ing twenty  pounds  to  a  large  bull  terrier  that 
weighed  forty-five  pounds  for  an  experiment, 
and  the  pups,  five  in  number,  weighed  at  maturity 
from  thirty-five  to  forty  pounds,  with  noses  and 
tails  nearly  as  long  as  their  sire's,  and  his  color, 
but  were  very  nice  in  their  disposition,  and  were 


72  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

given  away  for  stable  dogs.  Progressive  up-to- 
date  kennel  men  will  see  that  they  have  on  hand 
not  only  the  three  classes  called  for  by  the  stand- 
ard, but  the  fourth  class,  so  to  speak,  that  I  have 
mentioned  above,  those  weighing  anywhere  from 
thirty  to  forty  pounds.  Quite  a  number  of 
breeders  in  the  past  have  put  in  the  kennel  pail 
at  birth  extra  large  pups  that  they  thought  would 
mature  too  large  to  sell,  but  they  need  do  so  no 
longer.  This  precaution  must  always  be  taken 
where  there  are  one  or  more  of  these  large  size 
puppies,  viz.,  to  look  out  that  they  do  not  get 
more  than  their  proportionate  share  of  the  milk, 
or  later  the  food,  as  they  are  very  apt  to  crowd 
out  the  others. 

Remember  that  the  Boston  terrier  of  what- 
ever size  will  always  hold  his  own  as  a  com- 
panion, a  dog  that  can  be  talked  to  and  caressed, 
for  between  the  dog  and  his  owner  will  always 
be  found  a  bond  of  affection  and  sympathetic 
understanding. 


Prince  Lutana 


Champion  Fosco 


Pop"   Benson  with  Bunny  II 


Sir  Barney  Bliu 


CHAPTER  VII. 


BREEDING    FOR    GOOD    DISPOSITION. 


This,  to  my  mind,  is  the  most  important  fea- 
ture in  the  breeding  of  the  dog  that  demands 
th"e  most  careful  attention.  If  the  disposition  of 
the  dog  is  not  all  that  can  be  desired,  of  what 
avail  is  superb  constitution,  an  ideal  conforma- 
tion and  beautiful  color  and  markings?  Better 
by  far  obtain  the  most  pronounced  mongrel  that 
roams  the  street  that  shows  a  loving,  generous 
nature  if  he  cost  his  weight  in  gold,  than  take 
as  a  gift  the  most  royally  bred  Boston  that  could 
not  be  depended  upon  at  all  times  and  under  all 
circumstances  to  manifest  a  perfect  disposition. 

A  short  time  ago  I  went  to  visit  a  noted  pack 
of  English  fox  hounds.  One  beautiful  dog 
especially,  took  my  eye,  a  strong,  vigorous,  noble- 
looking  fellow,  and  on  my  asking  the  kennel 
man,  a  quaint  old  Scotchman,  if  he  would  let 
the  dog  out  for  me  to  see,  he  replied:  "Why, 
certainly,  Mr.  Axtell,  that  dog  is  Dashwood,  he 
is  a  perfect  gentleman,"  and  this  is  what  all 
Boston  terriers  should  be.  Of  course,  I  am 
speaking  of  the  well  bred,  properly  trained,  blue 


74  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

blooded  dog,  not  the  mongrel  that  so  often 
masquerades  under  his  name.  Still,  as  there  are 
black  sheep  in  every  family,  a  dog  showing  an 
ugly,  snapping,  quarrelsome  disposition  will  occa- 
sionally be  met  with  which,  to  the  shame  of  the 
owner,  is  not  mercifully  put  out  of  the  way  and 
buried  so  deep  that  he  can  not  be  scratched  up, 
but  is  allowed  to  perpetuate  his  or  her  own  kind 
to  the  everlasting  detriment  of  the  breed. 

How  many  a  one  has  come  away  from  a  dog 
show  utterly  disgusted  with  perhaps  one  of  the 
best  looking  dogs  on  the  bench,  who,  after  ad- 
miring its  attractiveness  in  every  detail,  discovers 
on  too  near  an  approach  to  him  that  he  possesses 
a  snappy,  vicious  disposition? 

I  am  perfectly  well  aware  that  due  allowance 
must  be  made  for  the  unnatural  excitement  that 
surrounds  a  dog,  perhaps  for  the  first  time 
shown,  away  from  all  he  knows,  and  surrounded 
by  strange  noises  and  faces.  Yet  I  consider  it 
an  outrage  on  the  public  who  give  their  time 
and  pay  their  money,  to  subject  them  to  any  risk 
of  being  bitten  by  any  dog,  I  care  not  of  what 
breed  it  may  be.  At  a  recent  show  in  Boston,  in 
company  with  three  or  four  gentlemen,  I  was 
admiring  a  very  handsome  looking  Boston,  a 
candidate  for  high  honors,  when  his  owner 
called  out  to  me:  "Mr.  Axtell,  do  not  go  too 
near  him  or  he  will  bite  your  fingers  off.  I 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  75 

replied:  "You  need  not  advise  an  old  dog  man 
like  me ;  I  can  tell  by  the  look  of  his  eye  what 
he  would  do  if  given  a  chance.  You  have  no 
right  whatever  to  show  such  a  dog."  Since  then 
I  went  to  the  kennels  where  a  noted  prize  win- 
ner is  placed  at  public  stud,  and  he  showed  such 
a  vicious  disposition  and  attempt  to  bite 
through  the  bars  of  his  pen  that  the  attendant 
had  to  cover  the  bars  over  with  a  blanket.  Such 
dogs  as  these  should  be  given  at  once  a  sufficient 
amount  of  chloroform  and  a  suitable  burial 
without  mourners.  If  a  man  must  keep  such  a 
brute,  then  a  strong  chain  and  a  secure  place 
where  his  owner  alone  can  visit  him  is  abso- 
lutely imperative. 

Boston  terriers,  of  all  breeds,  must  possess 
perfect  dispositions  if  they  are  to  maintain  their 
present  popularity;  and  yet,  how  many  unscru- 
pulous breeders  and  dealers  are  palming  off 
upon  a  confiding  public  dogs  which,  instead  of 
being  "put  away"  (I  think  that  is  the  general 
term  they  use)  should  be  put  under  so  much 
solid  mother  earth  that  no  one  would  suspect 
their  interment.  I  know  it  takes  considerable 
grit  and  force  of  character  to  cheerfully  put  to 
sleep  a  dog  for  which  perhaps  a  large  sum  of 
money  has  been  paid,  that  has  developed  an  un- 
certain, snappy  disposition,  yet  it  pays  so  to  do ; 
honesty  is  not  alone  the  best  policy,  but  the  only 


76  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

one.  In  my  experience  as  a  dog  man  I  could 
give  many  personal  incidents  concerning  the 
sale  of  vicious  dogs,  but  for  space  sake  one  must 
suffice. 

Last  year  a  Chicago  banker  sent  me  an  order 
for  a  dog  similar  in  style  and  disposition  to  the 
one  I  had  sold  him  a  few  years  previously,  to 
go  to  his  neice,  a  young  lady  staying  for  treat- 
ment at  a  large  sanatorium  in  southern  Massa^ 
chusetts.  I  replied  that  I  had  not  in  my  kennels 
a  large  enough  dog  to  suit,  but  that  I  knew  a 
dealer  who  possessed  a  fairly  good  reputation 
who  had,  and  would  get  him  for  him  if  he 
would  run  the  chances.  This  was  satisfactory, 
and  I  bought  the  dog.  He  was  guaranteed  to 
me  as  all  right  in  every  way,  but  I  felt  some- 
what suspicious,  as  the  price  was  very  low  for  a 
dog  of  his  style.  I  kept  him  with  me  for  a 
week  and  saw  no  outs  whatever  about  him,  and 
practically  concluded  my  suspicions  were  un- 
founded. 

Upon  taking  the  dog  personally  to  the  young 
lady  in  question,  I  told  her  his  history  as  far 
as  I  knew  it,  and  also  that  while  I  could  give  her 
the  dealer's  guarantee  of  the  dog  I  could  not 
of  course,  endorse  it,  but  that  if  she  cared  to  run 
the  risk  she  could  have  the  dog  on  approval  as 
long  as  she  wished.  I  said  in  warning  that  there 
was  something  about  his  eye  that  did  not  alto- 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  77 

gether  strike  my  fancy,  and  that  if  he  showed 
the  least  symptom  of  being  anything  but  affec- 
tionate, to  ship  him  to  my  kennels  in  Cliftondale 
immediately.  As  he  was  a  handsome  dog,  with 
beautiful  color,  I  could  see  she  wanted  him  at 
once,  and  the  dog  seemed  to  take  to  her  in  an 
even  greater  degree.  I  received  a  letter  from  her 
in  a  week's  time,  saying  how  perfectly  satisfac- 
tory the  dog  was  in  every  way,  and  what  a 
general  favorite  he  had  become  with  the  lady 
patients  there,  several  of  whom  would  like  me  to 
get  one  like  him  for  them.  I  need  not  say  how 
pleased  I  was  to  hear  this,  but  what  was  my 
surprise  to  receive  a  letter  the  next  day  asking 
me  to  send  at  once  for  the  dog,  as  he  had  bitten 
the  matron.  You  may  depend  that  neither  she 
nor  any  other  of  the  inmates  there  would  ever 
want  to  see  a  Boston  again,  and  who  would 
want  them  to?  Of  course  I  lost  my  money,  but 
that  is  not  worth  mentioning.  The  sorrow  I  felt 
stays  by  me  today.  I  sent  for  the  dog  and  kept 
him  at  my  kennels  for  five  months,  taking  care 
of  him  myself  and  never  letting  him  out  of  my 
sight,  during  which  time  he  was  as  gentle  as  a 
kitten,  until  one  day  a  young  dog  man  came 
down  into  the  yard,  and  the  dog,  for  some  un- 
accountable reason,  as  in  the  case  of  the  matron, 
jumped  on  him  and  took  hold  of  his  sleeve.  The 
man,  being  accustomed  to  dogs,  was  fortunately 


78  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

not  scared.  This  explained  the  low  price  of 
the  dog,  and  it  is  needless  to  add,  he  ornamented 
my  kennels  no  longer.  I  can  only  state  in  con- 
nection with  this  that  that  dealer  has  sold  very 
few  dogs  since.  I  never  purchase  a  dog  now, 
unless  I  know  the  man  from  whom  I  buy. 

How  to  breed  dogs  possessing  an  ideal  dispo- 
sition is  the  all-important  question,  and  I  give 
the  rules  as  followed  in  our  kennels  with  com- 
plete success.  Breed  only  from  stock  that  you 
know  comes  from  an  ancestry  noted  for  this 
particular  feature.  Many  dogs  are  naturally  of 
an  affectionate  nature,  but  have  been  made 
snappish  by  ill  treatemnt,  or  teasing.  This  can 
be  bred  out  by  judicious  care,  but  where  a 
vicious  tendency  is  hereditary,  look  out  for  trouble 
ahead.  Damages  for  dog  bites  come  high,  and 
he  must  be  either  a  very  rich  man,  or  a  very  poor 
one,  that  can  afford  to  keep  this  kind  of  stock. 

Use  only  thoroughly  healthy  stock;  disease 
is  often  productive  of  an  uneven,  sullen  dispo- 
sition. See  that  the  bitch  especially  never 
shows  a  tendency  to  be  cross  or  snappy.  The 
male  dog  usually  controls  the  shape,  color  and 
markings,  and  the  dam  the  constitution  and  dis- 
position. Hence  it  is,  if  anything,  of  more 
importance  that  the  female  should  be  strong  in 
this  feature  than  the  male,  although  the  male,  of 
course,  should  be  first  class  also.  So  well  known 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  79 

is  this  physiological  fact  that  breeders  of  stand- 
ard bred  horses,  particularly  hunters  and  carriage 
horses,  will  never  breed  a  vicious  mare  to  a 
quiet  stallion,  and  yet  they  are  generally  willing 
to  risk  breeding  a  quiet  mare  to  a  stallion  not 
as  good  in  this  respect. 

The  education  of  the  puppies  should  begin  as 
soon  as  they  can  run  around.  Very  much  de- 
pends upon  a  right  start.  We  are  admonished 
to  "train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go," 
and  this  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  dog. 
Treat  them  with  the  utmost  kindness,  but  with 
a  firm  hand.  Be  sure  they  are  taught  to  mind 
when  spoken  to,  and  never  fail  to  correct  at 
once  when  necessary.  A  stitch  in  time  saves 
many  times  nine.  A  habit  once  formed  is  hard 
to  break.  Never  be  harsh  with  them;  never 
whip;  remember  that  judicious  kindness  with 
firmness  is  far  more  effective  with  dogs,  as  with 
children.  Be  sure  to  accustom  them  to  mingle 
with  people  and  children,  and  introduce  them  as 
early  as  possible  to  the  sights  of  the  street,  to 
go  on  ahead,  and  to  come  at  your  call.  Prevent 
the  pernicious  habit  of  running  and  barking  at 
teams,  etc.,  and  other  dogs.  The  time  to  check 
these  habits  as  aforesaid  is  before  they  become 
fixed.  If,  after  all  these  pains,  you  see  a  dog 
show  th«  slightest  disposition  to  be  vicious,  then 
do  not  hesitate  to  send  him  at  once  by  a  humane 


8o  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

transit  to  dog  heaven.  By  thus  continuously 
breeding  a  strain  of  dogs  with  an  affectionate 
nature  and  the  elimination  of  any  that  show  the 
least  deviation  from  the  same,  in  a  short  time 
kennels  can  be  established  whose  dogs  will  not 
only  be  a  source  of  supreme  satisfaction  to  the 
owner,  but  will  be  the  best  advertisers  of  said 
kennels  wherever  they  go. 

It  will  readily  be  admitted  by  all  who  have 
given  the  matter  any  consideration  that  a 
dog  of  an  affectionate  nature,  whose  fidelity  has 
always  been  constant,  and  whose  devotion  to  its 
owner  has  always  under  all  circumstances  been 
perfectly  sincere  and  lasting,  makes  an  appeal 
to  something  that  is  inherent  in  human  nature. 
The  fact  of  the  case  is  that  the  love  of  such  a 
dog  is  imbedded  in  the  soul  of  every  normal 
man  and  woman  who  have  red  blood  in  their 
veins.  I  think  it  is  instinctive,  and  has  its 
foundation  in  the  fact  that  from  the  beginning  of 
time  he  has  ministered  to  man's  necessities,  and 
has  accompanied  him  as  his  best  friend  on  man's 
upward  march  to  civilization  and  enlightenment. 
"There  may  be  races  of  people  who  have  never 
known  the  dog,  but  I  very  much  question  if, 
after  they  have  made  his  acquaintance,  they  fail 
to  appreciate  his  desirable  qualities,  and  to  con- 
ceive for  him  both  esteem  and  affection." 


Champion  Lady  Dainty 


Champion  Todd  Boy 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BREEDING  FOR  A  VIGOROUS  CONSTI- 
TUTION. 


I  think  there  never  was  a  time  in  the  history 
of  the  breed  when  this  particular  feature  needed 
more  thoughtful,  systematic  and  scientific  at- 
tention devoted  to  it  than  now.  For  the  past 
few  years  breeders  have  been  straining  every 
nerve,  and  leaving  no  stone  unturned,  to  pro- 
duce small  stock,  toys,  in  fact,  and  everyone 
realizes,  who  has  given  the  question  thoughtful 
consideration,  that  this  line  of  breeding  has 
been  at  the  expense  of  the  vigor,  and  indirectly 
largely  of  a  beautiful  disposition,  of  the  dog,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  financial  loss  that  must 
inevitably  ensue. 

Said  an  old  Boston  terrier  man  (Mr.  Barnard) 
at  a  recent  show:  "Mr.  Axtell,  if  they  keep  on 
breeding  at  this  rate,  it  won't  be  long  before 
they  produce  a  race  of  black  and  tans." 

In  my  estimation  it  will  not  be  black  and  tan 
terriers,  but  nothing.  It  will  be  productive  of 
a  line  of  bitches  that  are  either  barren,  or  so 
small  that  they  can  not  possibly  whelp  without 


82  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

the  aid  of  a  "Vet."  One  does  not  have  to  look 
very  far  to  discover  numbers  of  men  who  started 
in  the  breeding  of  the  American  dog  with  high 
hopes  and  enthusiastic  endeavors  to  success,  who 
have  fallen  by  the  wayside,  owing  largely  to  the 
fact  that  proper  attention  was  not  paid  to  the 
selection  of  suitable  breeding  stock,  especially 
the  matrons.  Said  a  man  to  me  last  year: 
"Much  as  I  love  the  dog,  and  crazy  as  I  am  to 
raise  some  good  pups,  I  have  given  up  for  all 
time  trying  to  breed  Boston  terriers.  I  have 
lost  eight  bitches  in  succession  whelping."  We 
have  all  of  us  "been  there"  and  quite  a  number 
of  us  "many  a  time." 

In  order  to  obtain  strong,  vigorous  puppies 
that  will  live  and  develop  into  dogs  that  will  be 
noted  for  vigorous  constitutions,  we  shall  simply, 
and  in  language  that  can  be  readily  understood 
by  the  novice  as  well  as  the  established  breeder, 
lay  down  the  rules  that  a  quarter  of  a  century 
has  demonstrated  to  be  the  correct  ones  for  the 
attainment  of  the  same  as  used  in  our  kennels. 
As  all  puppies  that  leave  our  place  are  sold 
with  the  guarantee  of  reaching  maturity  (unless 
shown,  when  we  take  no  risks  whatever  in  re- 
gard to  distemper,  mange,  etc.),  it  will  readily 
be  seen  that  they  must  have  a  first  class  start, 
and  must  of  necessity  be  the  progeny  of  stock 
possessing  first  class  vigor  and  the  quality  of 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  83 

being  able  to  transmit  the  same  to  their  off- 
spring. An  ounce  of  experience  is  worth  many 
tons  of  theory,  and  it  is,  then,  with  pleasure  we 
give  the  system  pursued  by  us,  feeling  certain 
that  the  same  measure  of  success  will  attend 
others  that  will  take  the  necessary  pains  to 
attain  the  same,  and  they  will  be  spared  the 
many  pitfalls  and  mistakes  that  have  necessarily 
been  ours  before  we  acquired  our  present  knowl- 
edge. It  has  been  for  a  number  of  years  (start- 
ing as  we  did  when  the  breed  was  in  its  infancy, 
and  only  the  intense  love  of  the  dog,  coupled 
with  an  extensive  leisure,  which  enabled  us  to 
devote  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  important  and 
scientific  experiments,  have  enabled  us  to  arrive 
where  we  are),  an  uphill  road,  the  breeding 
problems  have  had  to  be  solved  at  the  outlay 
of  brains,  patience  and  considerable  money. 
Unlike  any  established  breed,  there  was  prac- 
tically no  data  to  fall  back  on,  no  books  of 
instruction  to  follow,  but  if  the  pioneer  work 
has  been  arduous  the  results  obtained  have  far 
outbalanced  it,  and  the  dog  today  stands  as  a 
monument  to  all  the  faithful,  conscientious  and 
determined  body  of  men  who  would  never 
acknowledge  defeat,  but  who,  in  spite  of  all  dis- 
couragements from  all  quarters,  and  from  many 
where  it  should  have  been  least  expected,  have 
pressed  forward  until  they  find  the  object  of 


84  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

their  unfailing  endeavors  the  supreme  favorite 
in  dogdom  the  continent  over. 

In  the  first  place,  in  the  attainment  of  vigorous 
puppies,  we  state  the  bitches  selected  are  of 
primary  importance,  in  our  view,  as  already 
stated,  far  more  so  than  the  sire.  For  best  re- 
sults we  choose  a  bitch  weighing  from  fifteen 
to  twenty-five  pounds.  If  they  happen  to  weigh 
over  this  we  do  not  consider  it  any  detriment 
whatever,  rather  otherwise.  Always  select  said 
matrons  from  litters  that  have  been  large,  bred 
from  strong,  vigorous  stock,  thoroughly  ma- 
tured, and  that  have  been  bred  by  reliable  (we 
speak  advisedly)  men  for  several  generations  if 
possible.  If  one  can,  obtain  from  kennels  that 
while  perfectly  comfortable,  have  not  been  sup- 
plied with  artificial  heat.  There  is  more  in  this 
than  appears  on  the  surface.  Dogs  that  have 
been  coddled  and  brought  up  around  a  stove 
rarely  have  stamina  and  vitality  enough  to 
enable  them  to  live  the  number  of  years  they  are 
entitled  to,  and  fall  a  ready  victim  to  the  first 
serious  trouble,  whether  distemper,  or  the  many 
and  one  ills  that  beset  their  path.  Intelligent 
breeders  of  all  kinds  of  stock  today  recognize 
the  value  of  fresh  air  and  unlimited  sunshine, 
and  if  best  results  are  to  be  obtained  these  two 
things  are  imperative. 

I  was  very  much  interested  in  the  prize  herd 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  85 

of  Hereford  cattle  owned  by  Mr.  Joseph  Row- 
lands, near  Worcester,  England,  and  conceded 
by  experts  to  be  the  best  in  that  country,  and  to 
learn  that  for  a  number  of  years  the  herd  (over 
one  hundred  in  number)  have  been  kept  in  the 
open,  the  cows  being  placed  in  the  barn  for  a 
few  days  at  calving,  and  that  the  prize  winning 
bull  that  heads  the  herd,  "Tumbler,"  is  sixteen 
years  old,  and  still  used,  and  it  is  stated  by  Mr. 
Rowlands  is  producing  as  good  stock  today  as 
ever.  The  significant  fact  about  this  herd  is, 
they  are  and  have  been  perfectly  free  from  tuber- 
culosis. Another  herd  of  Jerseys  (although  not 
prize  winners)  are  kept  near  there,  under  pre- 
cisely the  same  conditions  with  similar  results. 
A  breeder  of  prize  winning  Belgian  hares  has 
kept  these  for  a  number  of  years  without  arti- 
ficial heat,  with  the  best  of  results  with  freedom 
from  disease,  and  the  attainment  of  strong, 
robust  constitutions.  When  puppies  are  four 
months  old  (in  the  winter  time)  they  should  be 
placed  in  well  built  kennels,  without  artificial 
heat.  (Of  course,  this  does  not  apply  to  a  colder 
latitude  than  Massachusetts.) 

The  reason  for  choosing  bitches  that  come 
from  dams  noted  for  their  large  litters  is  this: 
the  chances  are  (if  the  dog  bred  to  comes  from 
a  similar  litter)  that  they  will  inherit  the  pro- 
pensity to  give  birth  to  large  litters  themselves, 


86  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

and  the  pups  will  necessarily  be  smaller  than 
when  only  one  or  two  pups  are  born.  The  bitch 
that  has  but  that  number  runs  an  awful  risk, 
especially  if  she  has  been  well  fed.  The  pups 
will  be  large  and  the  dam  has  great  difficulty  in 
whelping. 

If  toy  bitches  are  bred,  look  out  for  breakers 
ahead;  only  a  very  small  per  cent,  live  to  play 
with  their  little  ones.  A  toy  bitch,  bred  to  a  toy 
dog,  will  frequently  have  but  one  pup,  and  that 
quite  a  large  one  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
parents.  When  a  toy  bitch  is  bred,  attend  care- 
fully to  these  three  things.  See  that  the  dog 
used  is  small  in  himself,  comes  from  small  stock, 
and  does  not  possess  too  large  a  head.  Sec- 
ondly, be  sure  the  bitch  is  kept  in  rather  poor 
condition,  in  other  words,  not  too  fat;  and 
thirdly,  and  this  is  the  most  important  of  all, 
see  that  she  has  all  the  natural  exercise  she  can 
be  induced  to  take.  These  conditions  strictly 
and  faithfully  adhered  to  may  result  in  success. 

In  the  next  place,  the  consideration  of  the 
dog  to  be  used  is  in  order.  Whether  he  be  a 
first  prize  winner  or  an  equally  good  dog  that 
has  never  been  shown  (and  the  proportion  of 
the  best  raised  dogs  that  appear  on  the  bench  is 
very  small)  insist  on  the  following  rules: 

Be  sure  that  the  dog  is  typical  with  first  class 
constitution,  vigorous,  and  possessing  an  ideal 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  87 

disposition,  and  what  is  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance, that  he  comes  from  a  line  of  ancestry 
eminently  noted  for  these  characteristics.  Breed 
to  no  other,  though  he  were  a  winner  of  a  thou- 
sand first  prizes.  I  prefer  a  symmetrical  dog 
weighing  from  sixteen  to  twenty  pounds,  rather 
finer  in  his  make-up  than  the  bitch,  and  posses- 
sing the  indefinable  quality  of  style,  and 
evidences  in  his  make-up  courage  and  a  fine, 
open,  generous  temperament.  Do  not  breed  to 
a  dog  that  is  overworked  in  the  stud,  kept  on  a 
board  floor  chained  up  in  a  kennel  or  barn,  and 
never  given  a  chance  to  properly  exercise.  If 
you  do  the  chances  are  that  one  of  three  things 
will  happen :  the  bitch  will  not  be  in  whelp  (the 
most  likely  result)  the  pups,  or  some  of  them 
will  be  born  dead,  and  one  runs  an  awful  risk 
of  the  bitch  dying,  or,  if  alive  at  birth,  a  very 
small  per  cent,  only  of  the  pups  will  live  to  reach 
maturity.  I  think  Boston  terriers  are  particu- 
larly susceptible  to  worms  or  distemper,  and  it 
is  absolutely  imperative  that  they  should  not  be 
handicapped  at  the  onset. 

One  other  very  important  factor  is  natural 
exercise  for  the  bitch.  Unless  one  is  willing  to 
take  the  necessary  pains  to  give  her  this,  give 
up  all  expectation  of  ever  succeeding  in  raising 
puppies. 


88  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Someone  asked  a  noted  critic  whom  he  con- 
sidered the  best  singer  he  had  ever  heard,  and 
he  answered,  "Patti."  In  being  asked  who  came 
next,  he  replied,  "Patti ;"  and  on  being  questioned 
who  was  his  third  choice,  gave  the  same  answer. 
Were  I  asked  the  three  most  important  essen- 
tials for  the  success  of  the  brood  bitch,  I  should 
say,  "Exercise,  exercise,  exercise."  By  this  I 
do  not  mean  leading  with  a  chain,  running  be- 
hind a  horse  or  team,  but  the  natural  exercise 
a  bitch  will  take  if  left  to  her  own  devices. 
Nature  has  provided  an  infallible  monitor  to 
direct  the  dog  the  best  amount  to  take,  and  when 
to  take  it.  One  of  the  best  bitches  I  ever  pos- 
sessed was  one  weighing  fourteen  pounds  by 
the  original  Tony  Boy  (one  of  the  best  little 
dogs  that  ever  lived)  out  of  a  bitch  by  Torrey's 
Ned,  by  A.  Goode's  Ned.  Her  name  was  Lottie, 
and  she  had  thirteen  litters  and  raised  over 
ninety  per  cent.  Those  who  have  read  that  in- 
teresting little  book  on  the  "Boston  Terrier,"  by 
the  late  Dr.  Mott,  will  readily  recall  the  genial 
Doctor  speaking  of  the  first  Boston  he  ever 
owned,  named  "Muggy  Dee,"  and  how  intel- 
ligent he  was,  and  what  a  number  of  tricks  the 
Doctor  taught  him,  will  be  interested  to  know 
that  Lottie  was  his  great-grandmother,  and  she 
was  equally  intelligent.  We  had  several  bitches 
by  the  celebrated  Mr.  Mullen's  "Boxer"  out  of 


Champion   Willowbrook  Glory 


Squantum   Punch 


Tony  Ringmaster 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  89 

her,  (this  is  going  back  to  ancient  history),  one 
of  which,  "Brownie,"  was,  to  my  fancy,  the 
nicest  dog  we  ever  had.  She,  with  the  rest  of 
the  litter,  had  the  run  of  several  hundred  acres, 
and  many  times  I  did  not  see  them  for  days 
together.  They  went  in  and  out  of  the  hayloft 
at  pleasure,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  their 
time  hunting  and  digging  out  skunks  and  wood- 
chucks  which  were  quite  thick  in  the  woods  back 
of  us  at  that  time.  I  remember  the  first  time 
Brownie  was  bred  to  that  king  of  sires,  "Buster," 
owned  by  Alex.  Goode  (than  whom  a  more 
loyal  Boston  terrier  man  never  lived),  and  I 
was  rather  anxious  to  see  the  litter  when  it 
arrived,  as  from  the  mating  I  expected  cracker- 
jacks.  I  had  not  seen  her  or  her  mother  for 
two  or  three  days,  but  the  time  for  whelping 
having  arrived,  was  keeping  a  close  watch  on 
the  stable.  About  dusk  she  came  in  with  Lottie, 
and  in  a  short  time  gave  birth  to  four  of  the 
most  vigorous,  perfectly  formed  little  tots  I  had 
ever  seen.  Each  one  proved  to  be  good  enough 
to  show,  although  only  one  was  sold  to  an  ex- 
hibitor, Mr.  G.  Rawson,  the  rest  going  into 
private  hands.  "Druid  Pero"  was  shown  in 
New  York  in  1898,  taking  first  prize  and  silver 
cup  for  best  in  his  class,  but  I  think  his  brother, 
"Caddie,"  beat  him,  his  owner,  a  Boston  banker, 


90  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

being  offered  a  number  of  times  ten  times  the 
sum  he  paid  for  him. 

The  day  after  Brownie  whelped  she  and  her 
mother  went  off  for  an  hour  or  so,  and  they  fin- 
ished digging  out  Mr.  Skunk  (which  the  atten- 
tion to  her  maternal  duties  necessitated  a  post- 
ponement of),  the  old  dog  dragging  him  home 
in  triumph.  I  attribute  the  success  these  dogs, 
in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  bitches  in  the 
kennels  who  had  similar  advantages,  had  in 
whelping  and  the  rearing  of  their  young  to  the 
fact  that  they  always  had  unlimited  natural  ex- 
ercise. I  can  enumerate  scores  of  cases  similar 
to  these  attended  with  equally  good  results,  if 
space  permitted. 

In  regard  to  mating,  one  service,  if  properly 
performed,  is  usually  enough,  if  the  bitch  is 
ready  to  take  the  dog.  If  a  bitch  should  fail  to 
be  in  whelp  I  should  advise  the  next  time  she 
comes  in  season  two  or  even  three  visits  to  the 
dog,  and  where  convenient  I  should  suggest  a 
different  dog  this  time.  In  case  this  time  these 
services  were  unsuccessful,  then  I  should  sug- 
gest the  course  that  breeders  of  thoroughbred 
horses  pursue,  viz.,  to  let  the  female  run  with  the 
male  for  three  or  four  days  together.  There  are 
many  things  connected  with  breeding  that  we 
do  not  understand,  and  frequently  going  back  to 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  91 

nature,  as  in  this  case,  is  productive  of  results 
when  all  else  fails. 

One  very  important  factor  in  the  production 
of  strong,  rugged  pups  that  live,  is  good  feeding. 
Do  not  imagine  that  feeding  dog  biscuits  to  the 
bitch  in  whelp  will  give  good  results,  it  will  not ; 
she  needs  meat  and  vegetables  once  a  day.  Bis- 
cuits are  all  right  as  a  supplementary  food,  but 
that  is  all.  Meat  is  the  natural  food  for  a  dog, 
and  it  is  a  wise  kennel  man  that  can  improve  on 
nature.  Be  sure  the  meat  is  free  from  taint, 
especially  at  this  time  and  when  the  bitch  is 
nursing  pups.  The  gastric  juice  of  a  dog's 
stomach  is  a  great  germicide,  but  there  is  a 
limit. 

Be  certain  the  dogs  have  a  plentiful  supply  of 
good,  pure  water.  This  is  of  far  more  import- 
ance than  many  people  imagine. 

Do  not  administer  drugs  of  any  description 
to  your  dogs,  except  in  the  case  of  a  good 
vermifuge,  if  they  are  harboring  worms,  and  a 
proper  dose  of  castor  oil  if  constipated.  If  the 
dog  at  any  time  is  sick,  consult  a  good  veterin- 
ary accustomed  to  dogs,  not  one  who  has  prac- 
ticed entirely  on  horses  or  cows.  If  a  bitch,  at 
the  time  of  whelping,  is  much  distressed  and 
can  not  proceed,  get  a  veterinary  and  get  him 
quick.  When  the  pups  arrive,  if  all  is  well  and 
they  are  able  to  nurse,  let  them  severelv  alone. 


92  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

If  they  are  very  weak  they  will  have  to  be 
assisted  to  suckle — do  not  delay  attention  in  this 
case.  Be  sure  the  box  the  bitch  whelped  in  is 
large  enough  for  her  to  turn  around  in,  and  do 
not  use  any  material  in  the  nest  that  the  pups 
can  get  entangled  with.  My  advice  to  breeders 
is,  if  the  bitch  is  fully  formed  and  grown  to  her 
full  proportions,  to  breed  the  first  time  she  comes 
in  season.  She  will  have  an  easier  time  whelp- 
ing than  when  she  is  older.  If  delicate  or  im- 
mature, delay  breeding  till  the  next  time.  Do 
not  use  a  dog  in  the  stud  until  he  is  a  year  and 
a  half  old  for  best  results;  they  will,  of  course, 
sire  pups  at  a  year  or  younger,  but  better  wait. 
To  those  people  who  live  in  the  city,  or  where 
a  kennel  can  not  be  established  for  want  of  ade- 
quate room  to  give  the  dogs  the  necessary  exer- 
cise, an  excellent  plan  to  follow  is  one  adopted 
by  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  and  followed  by 
him  for  a  number  of  years  with  a  good  measure 
of  success.  He  owns  one  or  two  good  stud 
dogs  that  he  keeps  at  his  home,  and  he  has  put 
out  on  different  farms,  within  a  radius  of  ten 
miles  of  Boston,  one  bitch  at  each  place,  and 
pays  the  farmer  (who  is  only  too  glad  to  have 
this  source  of  income  at  the  outlay  of  so  little 
trouble  and  expense)  one  hundred  dollars  for 
each  litter  of  pups  the  bitch  has,  the  farmer  to 
deliver  the  pups  when  required,  usually  when 


Goode's   Buster 


Champion  Whisper 


Champion  Druid  Vixen 


Champion  Remlik  Bonnie 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  93 

three  months  old.  The  farmer  brings  in  the 
bitch  to  be  bred,  and  the  owner  has  no  further 
trouble.  The  pups,  when  delivered,  are  usually 
in  the  pink  of  condition  and  are,  in  a  great 
measure,  house  broken,  and  their  manners  to  a 
certain  extent  cultivated.  He  has  no  trouble 
whatever  with  pups  when  ordered,  as  he  simply 
sends  the  address  of  customers  and  the  farmer 
ships  them.  This,  to  me,  is  a  very  uninteresting 
and  somewhat  mercenary  way  of  doing  business, 
as  one  misses  all  the  charm  of  breeding  and  the 
bringing  up  of  the  little  tots,  to  many  of  us  the 
most  delightful  part  of  the  business.  To  those 
breeders  who  have  newly  started  in,  do  not  get 
discouraged  if  success  does  not  immediately 
crown  your  efforts ;  remember,  if  Boston  terriers 
could  be  raised  as  easily  as  other  dogs,  the  prices 
would  immediately  drop  to  the  others'  level. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BREEDING  FOR  COLOR  AND 
MARKINGS. 


Every  one  who  has  a  Boston  terrier  for  sate 
knows  that  a  handsome  seal  or  mahogany  brin- 
dle  with  correct  markings,  with  plenty  of  luster 
in  the  coat,  provided  all  other  things  are  equal, 
sells  more  readily  at  a  far  higher  price  than 
any  other.  When  one  considers  the  number  of 
points  given  in  the  standard  for  this  particular 
feature,  and  the  very  important  factor  it  occu- 
pies in  the  sale  of  the  dog,  too  much  attention 
cannot  be  given  by  breeders  for  the  attainment 
of  this  desideratum.  I  am,  of  course,  thoroughly 
in  sympathy  with  the  absolute  justice  that  should 
always  prevail  in  the  show  ring  in  the  considera- 
tion of  the  place  color  and  markings  occupy  in 
scoring  a  candidate  for  awards.  Twelve  points 
are  allowed  in  the  standard  for  these,  and  any 
dog,  I  care  not  whether  it  be  "black,  white,  gray, 
or  grizzled,"  that  scored  thirteen  points  over  the 
most  perfectly  marked  dog,  should  be  awarded 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  95 

the  prize.  But  be  it  ever  remembered  that  the 
show  ring  and  the  selling  of  a  dog  are  two  sepa- 
rate and  distinct  propositions.  In  the  writer's 
opinion  and  experience  a  wide  gulf  opens  up 
between  a  perfect  white  or  black  dog  comporting 
absolutely  to  the  standard,  and  one  of  desirable 
color  and  markings  that  is  off  a  number  of 
points.  I  have  always  found  a  white,  black, 
mouse,  or  liver  colored  dog,  I  care  not  how  good 
in  every  other  respect,  almost  impossible  to  get 
rid  of  at  any  decent  price.  People  simply  would 
not  take  them.  Perhaps  my  experience  has  run 
counter  to  others.  I  trust  it  may  have  done  so, 
but  candor  compels  me  to  make  this  statement. 
I  find  that  this  condition  of  things  is  some- 
what misleading,  especially  to  beginners  in  the 
breed.  They  have  seen  the  awards  made  in  the 
shows  (with  absolute  justice,  as  already  stated), 
and  have  naturally  inferred  that  in  consequence 
of  this,  breeding  for  desirable  colors  was  not  of 
paramount  importance  after  all.  Only  a  month 
or  two  ago  an  article  appeared  in  a  charming 
little  dog  magazine,  written  evidently  by  an 
amateur,  on  this  question  of  color  and  markings. 
He  had  visited  the  Boston  Terrier  Club  show 
last  November,  and  speaking  of  seal  brindles, 
said :  "If  this  color  is  so  very  desirable  it  seems 
strange  that  so  few  were  seen,  and  that  so  many 
of  the  leading  terriers  were  black  and  white, 


96  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

and  some  white  entirely,"  then  follows  his 
deduction,  viz.,  "the  tendency  evidently  is 
that  color  is  immaterial  with  the  best  judges,  so 
that  a  breeder  is  foolish  to  waste  his  time  on 
side  issues  which  are  not  material."  I  can  only 
state  in  passing  that  if  he  had  a  number  of  dogs 
on  hand  that  were  of  the  colors  he  specifies, 
"black  and  white,  and  some  white  entirely,"  it 
would  doubtless  "seem  strange"  to  him  why  they 
persisted  in  remaining  on  his  hands  as  if  he  had 
given  each  one  an  extra  bath  in  Le  Page's 
liquid  glue.  Pitfalls  beset  the  path  of  the  be- 
ginner and  this  book  is  written  largely  to  avoid 
them.  When  one  reads  or  hears  the  statement 
made  that  color  and  markings  are  of  secondary 
consideration  or  even  less,  take  warning.  The 
reader's  pardon  will  now  have  to  be  craved  for 
the  apparent  egotism  evidenced  by  the  writer  in 
speaking  of  himself  in  a  way  that  only  indi- 
rectly concerns  canine  matters,  but  which  has  a 
bearing  on  this  very  important  question  of  color, 
and  partially,  at  least,  explains  why  this  partic- 
ular feature  of  the  breeding  of  the  Boston  terrier 
has  appealed  to  him  so  prominently.  My  father 
was  a  wholesale  merchant  in  straw  goods,  and 
had  extensive  dye  works  and  bleacheries  where 
the  straw,  silk  and  cotton  braids  were  colored. 
As  a  youngster  I  used  to  take  great  delight  in 
watching  the  dyers  and  bleachers  preparing  their 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  97 

different  colors  and  shades,  etc.,  and  was  anxious 
to  see  the  results  obtained  by  the  different  chem- 
ical combinations.  When  a  young  man,  while 
studying  animal  physiology  under  the  direction 
of  the  eminent  scientist,  Professor  Huxley, 
whose  diploma  I  value  most  highly,  I  made  a 
number  of  extended  scientific  experiments  in 
color  breeding  in  poultry  and  rabbits,  so  that 
when  I  took  up  breeding  Boston  terriers  later  in 
life  this  feature  particularly  attracted  me.  I  was 
"predisposed,"  as  a  physician  says  of  a  case 
where  the  infection  is  certain,  hence  I  offer  no 
apology  whatever  for  the  assertion  that  this 
chapter  is  scientifically  correct  in  the  rules  laid 
down  for  the  breeding  to  attain  desirable  shades 
and  markings. 

When  we  first  commenced  breeding  Bostons 
in  1885,  the  prevailing  shades  were  a  rather  light 
golden  brindle  (often  a  yellow),  and  mahogany 
brindles,  and  quite  a  considerable  number  had  a 
great  deal  of  white.  Then  three  shades  were  de- 
barred, viz.,  black,  mouse  and  liver,  and  although 
years  after  the  Boston  Terrier  Club  removed  this 
embargo,  they  still  remain  very  undesirable 
colors. 

The  rich  mahogany  brindle  next  became  the 
fashionable  color  (and  personally  I  consider  it 
the  most  beautiful  shade),  and  Mr.  A.  Goode 
with  Champion  "Monte"  and  Mr.  Rawson  with 


98  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

the  beautiful  pair,  "Druid  Merke"  and  "Vixen/' 
set  the  pace  and  every  one  followed.  A  few 
years  later  Messrs.  Phelps  and  Davis  (who,  with 
the  above  mentioned  gentlemen,  were  true  friends 
of  the  breed),  sold  a  handsome  pair  of  seal  brin- 
dles,  Chs.  "Commissioner  II."  and  "Topsy,"  to 
Mr.  Borden  of  New  York,  and  confirmed,  if 
not  established,  the  fashion  for  that  color  in  that 
city.  I  think  that  all  people  will  agree,  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  that  New  York  sets  the 
style  for  practically  everything,  from  my  lady's 
headgear  to  the  pattern  of  her  equipages,  and 
the  edict  from  that  city  has  decreed  that  the 
correct  color  in  Boston  terriers  is  a  rich  seal 
brindle,  with  white  markings,  with  plenty  of 
luster  to  it,  and  all  sections  of  the  continent 
promptly  say  amen ! 

I  have  taken  the  pains  to  look  up  a  number  of 
orders  that  we  have  recently  received,  which  in- 
clude (not  enumerating  those  received  from  the 
New  England  States,  or  New  York),  three  from 
Portland,  Oregon,  one  from  California,  one  from 
St.  Louis,  one  from  Mexico,  four  from  Canada, 
two  from  Chicago,  and  one  from  Texas,  and 
with  the  exception  of  two  who  wished  to  replace 
dogs  bought  of  us  ten  or  twelve  years  previously, 
they  practically  all  wanted  seal  brindles. 

These  orders  were  nearly  all  from  bankers  and 
brokers,  men  who  are  supposed  to  be  en  rapport 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  99 

with  the  dictates  of  fashion.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  what  a  public  taste  demands,  every 
effort  will  be  made  to  attain  the  same,  and  breed- 
ers will  strive  their  utmost  to  produce  this  shade. 
Many  who  do  not  understand  scientific  matings 
to  obtain  these  desirable  colors  have  fallen  into 
a  very  natural  mistake  in  so  doing.  In  regard  to 
the  mahogany  brindles  they  say,  why  not  breed 
continuously  together  rich  mahogany  sires  and 
dams,  and  then  we  shall  always  have  the  brindles 
we  desire.  "Like  produces  like"  is  a  truism 
often  quoted,  but  there  are  exceptions,  and  Bos- 
ton terrier  breeding  furnishes  an  important  one. 
A  very  few  years  of  breeding  this  way  will  give 
a  brown,  solid  color,  without  a  particle  of  brindle, 
or  even  worse,  a  buckskin.  If  the  foundation 
stock  is  a  lighter  brindle  to  start,  the  result  will 
be  a  mouse  color.  The  proper  course  to  pursue 
is  to  take  a  golden  brindle  bitch  that  comes  from 
a  family  noted  for  that  shade,  and  mate  her  with 
a  dark  mahogany  brindle  dog  that  comes  from  an 
ancestry  possessed  of  that  color.  The  bitch  from 
this  mating  can  be  bred  to  dark  mahogany  brin- 
dles, and  the  females  from  this  last  mating  bred 
again  to  dark  mahogany  males,  but  now  a  change 
is  necessary.  The  maxim,  "twice  in  and  once 
out,"  applies  here.  The  last  bred  bitches  should 
be  bred  this  time  to  a  golden  brindle  dog,  and 
same  process  repeated,  that  is,  the  bitches  from 


ioo  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

this  last  union  and  their  daughters  can  be  bred 
to  dark  mahogany  brindle  dogs,  when  the  golden 
brindle  sire  comes  in  play  again.  This  can  be 
repeated  indefinitely.  A  rule  in  color  breeding 
to  be  observed  is  this:  that  the  male  largely  in- 
fluences the  color  of  the  pups.  If  darker  colors 
are  desired,  use  a  darker  male  than  the  female. 
If  lighter  shades  are  desired,  use  a  lighter  col- 
ored male. 

If  a  tiger  brindle  is  wanted,  take  a  gray  brin- 
dle bitch  and  mate  to  a  dark  mahogany  dog. 
Steel  and  gray  brindles  are  in  so  little  demand 
and  are  so  easy  to  produce  that  we  shall  not 
notice  them. 

In  regard  to  seal  brindles.  A  great  many 
breeders  who  do  not  understand  proper  breed- 
ing to  obtain  them  have  fallen  into  the  same  pit 
as  the  others.  In  their  desire  to  obtain  the  dark 
seal  brindles  they  have  mated  very  dark  dogs  to 
equally  dark  bitches,  which  has  resulted  in  a  few 
generations  in  producing  dogs  absolutely  black 
in  color,  with  coats  that  look  as  if  they  had  been 
steeped  in  a  pail  of  ink.  A  visit  to  any  of  the 
leading  shows  of  late  will  reveal  the  fact  that 
quite  a  number  of  candidates  for  bench  honors 
are  not  real  brindle,  except  possibly  on  the 
under  side  of  the  body,  or  perchance  a  slight 
shading  on  the  legs.  A  considerable  number  are 
perfectly  black,  and  are  called  by  courtesy  black 
brindles.  As  well  call  the  ace  of  spades  by  the 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  101 

same  name.  A  serious  feature  in  connection 
with  this  is,  that  the  longer  this  line  of  breeding 
is  persisted  in,  the  harder  will  be  the  task  to 
breed  away.  In  fact,  in  my  estimation  it  will 
be  as  difficult  as  the  elimination  of  white.  One 
important  fact  in  connection  here  is  that  black 
color  is  more  pronounced  from  white  stock  than 
from  brindle.  I  recently  went  into  the  kennels 
of  a  man  who  has  started  a  comparatively  short 
time  ago,  and  who  has  been  most  energetic  in 
his  endeavors  to  produce  a  line  of  dark  seal 
brindles,  and  who  is  much  perplexed  because  he 
has  a  lot  of  stock  on  hand,  while  first  rate  in 
every  other  respect,  are  with  coats  as  black  as 
crows  and  not  worth  ten  dollars  apiece.  He 
seemed  very  much  surprised  when  I  told  him 
his  mistake,  but  grateful  to  be  shown  a  way  out 
of  his  difficulty.  A  visit  to  another  kennel  not 
far  from  the  last  revealed  the  fact  that  the  owner 
was  advertising  and  sending  largely  to  the  West 
what  he  called  black  brindles,  but  as  devoid  of 
brindle  as  a  frog  is  of  feathers.  His  case  was 
rather  amusing,  as  he  honestly  believed  that  be- 
cause the  dog  was  a  Boston  terrier  its  color  of 
necessity  must  be  a  brindle.  He  reminded  me 
a  good  deal  of  a  man  who  started  a  dog  store 
in  Boston  a  number  of  years  ago  who  advertised 
in  his  windows  a  Boston  terrier  for  sale  cheap. 
Upon  stepping  in  to  see  the  dog  all  that  pre- 


102  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

sented  itself  to  view  was  a  dog,  a  cross  between 
a  fox  and  bull  terrier.  When  the  man  was  told 
of  this,  he  made  this  amusing  reply:  "The  dog 
was  born  in  Boston,  and  he  is  a  terrier.  Why 
is  he  not  a  Boston  terrier?"  Upon  telling  him 
that  according  to  his  reasoning  if  the  dog  had 
been  born  in  New  York  city  he  would  be  a  New 
York  terrier  he  smiled.  Fortunately  I  had 
"Druid  Pero"  with  me  and  said :  "Here  is  a  dog 
bred  in  my  kennels  at  Cliftondale,  Mass.,  that 
was  a  first  prize  winner  at  the  last  New  York 
show,  and  yet  he  is  a  Boston  terrier."  After 
looking  Pero  carefully  over  he  exclaimed :  "Well, 
by  gosh,  they  don't  look  much  like  brothers,  but 
I  guess  some  greenhorn  will  come  along  who  will 
give  me  twenty-five  dollars  for  him,"  and  on  in- 
quiring a  little  later  was  told  the  green  gentle- 
man had  called  and  bought  the  dog. 

How  to  breed  the  dogs  so  that  the  brindle  will 
not  become  too  dark,  with  the  bright  reddish 
sheen  that  sparkles  in  the  sun,  is  the  important 
question,  and  I  am  surprised  at  the  ignorance 
displayed  by  kennel  men  that  one  would  natur- 
ally suppose  would  have  made  the  necessary  sci- 
entific experiments  to  obtain  this  desirable  shad- 
ing. Only  a  short  time  ago  a  doctor,  a  friend  of 
mine,  told  me  he  had  just  started  a  kennel  of 
Bostons,  buying  several  bitches  at  a  bargain  on 
account  of  their  being  black  in  color,  and  that 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  103 

he  proposed  breeding  them  to  a  white  dog  to  get 
puppies  of  a  desirable  brindle.  He  seemed  quite 
surprised  when  told  the  only  shades  he  could 
reasonably  expect  would  be  black,  white  and 
splashed,  all  equally  undesirable. 

The  system  adopted  in  our  kennels  some  years 
ago  to  obtain  seal  brindles  with  correct  mark- 
ings and  the  desirable  luster  and  reddish  sheen 
to  the  coat  is  as  follows : 

We  take  a  rich  red,  or  light  mahogany  bitch, 
with  perfect  markings,  that  comes  from  a  family 
noted  for  the  brilliancy  of  their  color,  and  with- 
out white  in  the  pedigrees  for  a  number  of  gen- 
erations, and  mate  her  always  to  a  dark  seal 
brindle  dog  with  an  ancestry  back  of  him  noted 
for  the  same  color.  The  pups  from  these  matings 
will  come  practically  seventy-five  per  cent,  me- 
dium seal  brindles.  We  now  take  the  females 
that  approximate  the  nearest  in  shade  to  their 
mother,  and  mate  them  to  a  dark  seal  brindle 
dog  always.  The  bitches  that  are  the  result  of 
this  union  are  always  bred  to  a  dark  seal  brindle 
dog.  The  females  that  come  from  the  last 
union  are  bred  to  a  medium  seal  brindle  dog, 
but  now  comes  the  time  to  introduce  a  mahog- 
any brindle  dog  as  a  sire  next  time,  for  if  these 
last  bitches  were  mated  to  a  seal  brindle  dog  a 
large  per  cent,  of  the  pups  would  come  too  dark 
or  even  black.  This  system  is  used  indefinitely 
and  desirable  seal  brindles  with  white  markings 


104  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

can  thus  be  always  obtained.  To  the  best  of  my 
recollection  we  have  had  but  one  black  dog  in 
twenty  years.  We  have  demonstrated,  we  trust, 
so  that  all  may  understand  how  golden,  mahog- 
any, and  seal  brindles  are  obtained,  and  how 
they  may  be  bred  for  all  time  without  losing  the 
brindle  so  essential,  and  we  now  pass  on  to  the 
consideration  of  a  far  harder  problem,  the  ob- 
taining of  the  rich  seal  brindles  from  all  unde- 
sirable colors,  and  we  present  to  all  interested 
in  this  important,  and  practically  unknown  and 
misunderstood,  problem  the  result  of  a  number 
of  years  extended  and  scientific  experiments 
which,  we  confess,  were  disheartening  and  un- 
productive for  a  long  time,  but  which  ultimately 
resulted  in  success,  the  following  rules  to  be 
observed,  known  as  "The  St.  Botolph  Color 
Chart." 

In  presenting  this  we  are  fully  aware  that  as 
far  as  we  know  this  is  the  only  scientific  system 
evolved  up  to  date,  also  that  there  are  a  number 
of  breeders  of  the  American  dog  who  maintain 
that  this  is  an  absolute  impossibility,  that  breed- 
ing for  color  is  as  absurd  as  it  is  impractical, 
but  we  can  assure  these  honest  doubters  that  we 
have  blazed  a  trail,  and  all  they  now  have  to  do 
is  simply  to  follow  instructions  and  success  will 
crown  their  efforts. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  105 

We  will  enumerate  the  following  colors  in  the 
order  of  their  resistance,  so  to  speak: 

No.  I.  White.  This  color,  theoretically  a 
combination  of  red,  green  and  violet  will  be 
found  the  hardest  to  eliminate,  as  the  shade  de- 
sired will  have  to  be  worked  in,  so  to  speak,  and 
it  will  take  several  generations  before  a  seal 
brindle  with  perfect  markings  that  can  be  de- 
pended upon  to  always  reproduce  itself  can  be 
obtained.  Starting  with  a  white  bitch  (always 
remember  that  the  shades  desired  must  be  pos- 
sessed by  the  dog),  we  breed  her  always  to  a 
golden  brindle  dog.  The  bitches  (those  most 
resembling  the  sire  in  color  being  selected)  from 
these  two  are  mated  to  a  dark  mahogany  brindle 
dog,  and  the  females  from  this  last  union  are 
mated  to  a  dark  seal  brindle  dog.  It  will  readily 
be  observed  that  we  have  bred  into  the 
white  color,  golden,  mahogany  and  seal  brindle^ 
and  this  admixture  of  color  will  give  practically 
over  ninety  per  cent,  of  desirable  brindles.  Al- 
ways see  that  the  sires  used  are  perfectly  marked, 
from  ancestry  possessing  the  same  correct 
markings.  This  is  absolutely  imperative,  where 
the  stock  to  be  improved  is  worked  upon  is  white. 

No.  2.  Black.  This  color  is  the  opposite  of 
white,  inasmuch  as  there  is  an  excess  of  pig- 
ment, which  in  this  case  will  have  to  be  worked 
out.  Breed  the  black  bitch  to  a  red  brindle  dog 


io6  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

(with  the  same  conditions  regarding  his  ances- 
try). The  females  from  these  matings  bred 
always  to  a  dark  mahogany  brindle  dog.  The 
females  from  the  last  matings  breed  to  a  medium 
seal  brindle  dog  with  a  very  glossy  coat,  and  the 
result  of  these  last  matings  will  be  good  seal 
brindles.  If  any  bitches  should  occasionally 
come  black,  breed  always  to  a  golden  brindle 
dog.  No  other  shade  will  do  the  trick. 

No.  3.  Gray  brindle.  This  is  practically  a 
dead  color,  but  easy  to  work  out.  Breed  first 
to  a  golden  brindle  dog.  The  females  from  this 
union  breed  to  a  rich  mahogany  brindle,  and  the 
bitches  from  this  last  litter  breed  to  a  seal  brin- 
dle dog. 

No.  4.  Buckskin.  Breed  bitch  to  golden 
brindle  dog;  the  females  from  this  union  to  a 
red  brindle  dog  (if  unobtainable,  use  mahogany 
brindle  dog,  but  this  is  not  so  effective),  and 
the  females  from  last  union  breed  to  a  seal  brin- 
dle dog. 

No.  5.  Liver.  This  is  a  great  deal  like  the 
last,  but  a  little  harder  to  manipulate.  Breed 
first  to  a  golden  brindle  dog.  The  females  from 
this  union  breed  to  a  seal  brindle.  The  bitches 
from  this  union  breed  to  mahogany  brindle  dog 
with  black  bars  running  through  the  coat,  and 
the  females  from  last  mating  breed  to  seal  brin- 
dles. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  107 

No.  6.  Mouse  color.  Use  same  process  as 
for  gray  brindles. 

No.  7.  Yellow.  A  very  undesirable  shade, 
but  easy  to  eliminate.  Breed  to  mahogany  brin- 
dle  dog  as  dark  as  can  be  obtained,  and  bitches 
from  this  mating  breed  to  a  seal  brindle  dog. 

No.  8.  Steel  and  tiger  brindles  I  class  to- 
gether, as  the  process  is  the  same  and  results 
are  easy.  Breed  first  to  a  red  brindle  dog; 
bitches  from  this  union  to  a  dark  mahogany 
brindle,  and  then  use  seal  brindle  dog  on  bitch 
from  last  mating. 

No.  9.  Red  brindle.  No  skill  is  required  here. 
Breed  first  to  mahogany  brindles,  and  bitches 
from  this  union  to  seal  brindles. 

We  have  now  enumerated  practically  all  the 
less  desirable  shades,  but  let  me  observe  in 
passing,  in  the  process  of  color  breeding  that 
the  law  of  atavism,  or  "throwing  back,"  often 
asserts  itself,  and  we  shall  see  colors  belonging 
to  a  far-off  ancestry  occasionally  presenting 
themselves  in  all  these  matings.  Once  in  a  while 
a  dog  will  be  found  that  no  matter  what  color 
bitches  he  may  be  mated  with,  he  will  mark  a 
certain  number  of  the  litter  with  the  peculiar 
color  or  markings  of  some  remote  ancestor.  Just 
a  case  apropos  of  this  will  suffice.  We  used  in 
our  kennels  a  dog  of  perfect  markings,  coming 
from  an  immediate  ancestry  of  perfectly  marked 


io8  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

dogs,  and  mated  him  with  quite  a  number  of 
absolutely  perfectly  marked  bitches  that  we  had 
bred  for  a  great  number  of  years  that  had  before 
that  had  perfectly  marked  pups,  and  every  bitch, 
no  matter  how  bred,  had  over  fifty  per  cent,  of 
white  headed  pups.  We  saw  the  pups  in  other 
places  sired  by  this  dog,  no  matter  where  bred, 
similarly  marked.  We  found  his  grandmother 
was  a  white  headed  dog,  and  this  dog  inherited 
this  feature  in  his  blood,  and  passed  it  on  to  pos- 
terity. The  minute  a  stud  dog,  perfect  in  him- 
self, is  prepotent  to  impress  upon  his  offspring 
a  defect  in  his  ancestry,  discard  him  at  once.  I 
have  often  been  amused  to  see  how  frequently 
this  law  of  atavism  is  either  misunderstood  or 
ignored.  Only  recently  I  have  seen  a  number 
of  letters  in  a  leading  dog  magazine,  in  which 
several  people  who  apparently  ought  to  know 
better,  were  accusing  litters  of  bulldog  pups  as 
being  of  impure  blood  because  there  were  one 
or  two  black  pups  amongst  them.  They  must, 
of  course,  have  been  conversant  with  the  fact 
that  bulldogs  years  ago  frequently  came  of  that 
color,  and  failed  to  reason  that  in  consequence 
of  this,  pups  of  that  shade  are  liable  once  in  a 
while  to  occur.  It  is  always  a  safe  rule  in  color 
breeding  to  discard  as  a  stud  a  dog,  no 
matter  how  brilliant  his  coat  may  be,  who  per- 


,m.       -    *~y J 

Champion   Boylston   Reina 


Champion  Roxie 


Peter's  Little  Boy  and  Ch.  Trimont  Roman 


Champion   Lord  Derby 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  109 

sistently  sires  pups  whose  colors  are  indistinct 
and  run  together,  as  it  were. 

Remember,  in  closing  this  chapter,  that  as 
"eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty,"  so  the 
eternal  admixtures  of  colors  is  the  price  of  rich 
brindles.  If  one  has  the  time  the  works  of  an 
Austrian  monk  named  Mendel  are  of  great  in- 
terest as  bearing  somewhat  on  this  subject,  and 
the  two  English  naturalists,  Messrs.  Everett  and 
J.  G.  Millais,  whose  writings  contain  the  result 
of  extensive  scientific  experiments  on  dogs  and 
game  birds,  are  of  absorbing  interest  also. 


CHAPTER  X. 


SALES. 


Every  person  who  has  bred  Bostons  for  any 
length  of  time  knows  that  a  good  dog  sells  him- 
self. I  do  not  imagine  there  is  practically  any 
part  of  this  great  country  where  a  typical  dog, 
of  proper  color  and  markings  and  all  right  in 
every  respect,  fails  to  meet  a  prospective  buyer, 
and  yet,  of  course,  there  are  certain  places 
where  an  A  i  dog,  like  an  ideal  saddle  or  car- 
riage horse  meets  with  a  readier  sale,  at  a  far 
greater  price  than  others.  New  York  city,  in 
particular,  and  all  the  larger  cities  of  the  coun- 
try where  there  are  large  accumulations  of  wealth, 
offer  the  best  markets  for  the  greatest  numbers 
of  this  aristocratic  member  of  the  dog  fraternity, 
and  from  my  own  personal  knowledge  the  larger 
cities  of  the  countries  adjacent  to  the  United 
States  furnish  nearly  as  good  a  market,  at  a 
somewhat  reduced  price.  Were  the  quarantines 
removed  in  the  mother  country,  which  England 
no  doubt  has  found  absolutely  necessary,  it 
would  not  surprise  me  in  the  least  to  see  an 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  in 

unprecedented  demand  for  the  Boston  at  very 
high  prices,  and  I  am  going  to  make  a  prediction 
that  on  the  continent  of  Europe  it  will  not  be 
long  before  the  American  dog  will  follow  the 
trotting  horse,  and  will  work  his  way  eastward, 
until  jealous  China  and  strange  Japan  will  be 
as  enamoured  with  him  as  we  are,  and  his 
devotees  at  the  Antipodes  will  be  wondering 
where  he  got  his  little  screw  tail,  and  why  that 
sweet,  serene  expression  on  his  face,  like  the 
"Quaker  Oat  smile,"  never  comes  off.  This  to 
a  person  who  knows  not  the  Boston  may  seem 
extravagant  praise,  but  to  all  such  we  simply 
say :  Get  one,  and  then  see  if  you  are  not  ready 
to  exclaim  with  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  when  vis- 
iting King  Solomon  and  being  shown  his  treas- 
ures: "Behold,  the  half  was  not  told  me!" 
Perhaps  the  system  of  sales  that  has  always  been 
followed  by  us  may  be  of  interest  to  many  en- 
gaged in  the  breeding  of  the  dog,  and  while  we 
do  not  hold  a  patent  on  the  same,  or  even  sug- 
gest its  adoption  by  others,  must  confess  it  has 
worked  with  entire  satisfaction  in  our  case,  and 
we  have  never  once  failed  to  receive  the  pur- 
chase money.  We  must  say  in  explanation  that 
our  customers  practically  are  all  bankers  and 
brokers,  and  that  our  dogs  have  never  been  sold 
by  advertising  or  being  exhibited  at  shows,  but 
by  being  recommended  by  one  man  to  another, 


ii2  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

starting  many  years  ago  by  the  first  sale  to  a 
Boston  banker,  then  to  several  members  of  his 
firm,  going  from  Boston  to  their  correspondents 
in  other  cities,  until  the  orders  come  in  from 
everywhere.  We  had  three  orders  from  as  many 
countries  in  one  mail  last  week.  I  merely  men- 
tion this  to  show  how  the  demand  for  the  dog 
has  grown.  When  we  commenced  to  sell  dogs 
we  adopted  the  following  plan,  which  we  con- 
ceived to  be  just  and  equitable  alike  to  buyer 
and  seller:  When  a  dog  is  ordered  we  send 
on  one  which  we  believe  will  fill  the  bill,  accu- 
rately describing  the  dog,  stating  age,  pedigree, 
etc.,  and  stating  that  when  the  customer  is  per- 
fectly satisfied  with  the  dog  (as  long  a  trial 
being  given  as  may  be  wished)  in  every  respect, 
a  check  will  be  accepted,  and  not  before.  Should 
the  dog  at  any  time  prove  unsatisfactory  in  any- 
way, the  purchase  money  will  be  cheerfully 
refunded,  or  a  dog  of  equal  value  will  be  sent 
in  exchange.  In  the  case  of  a  bitch  that  fails 
to  become  a  good  breeder,  the  same  plan,  of 
course,  is  followed.  In  regard  to  the  sale  of 
puppies,  we  guarantee  them  (barring  accidents, 
and  the  showing  of  them,  when  owner  assumes 
risks)  to  reach  maturity,  and  in  case  they  do 
not,  refund  purchase  money,  or  send  on  another 
puppy  of  equal  value. 

Of  course,  where  the  buyer  is  not  known,  or 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  113 

personally  recommended,  then  the  seller  has  to 
adopt  entirely  different  methods.  Still,  I  see  no 
reason  why  an  honest  man  who  has  a  Boston, 
or  any  other  dog,  for  sale,  or,  in  fact,  any  article 
of  merchandise,  should  not  be  willing  to  send  on 
the  same  to  any  honest  buyer.  This  is  on  the 
assumption,  of  course,  that  both  parties  are 
honorable  men.  To  the  seller  I  advise  the  pur- 
chase money  being  received  before  the  dog  is 
shipped,  and  express  charges  guaranteed,  if  the 
buyer  is  not  known  or  unable  to  supply  absolutely 
reliable  references.  Decline  to  receive  any 
order  where  the  object  sought  is  to  obtain  a 
dog  to  use  to  breed  to  a  bitch,  or  several,  as  the 
case  may  be,  and  then  be  returned  as  unsatis- 
factory. We  have  had  no  experience  in  this  line, 
but  are  informed  it  has  frequently  been  done. 
If  such  a  customer  presents  himself,  simply  tell 
him  he  can  inspect  the  dog  or  have  an  expert  do 
so  for  him  if  too  far  away  to  come,  but  that 
when  the  deal  is  closed  and  the  money  paid  that 
under  no  conditions  whatever  can  the  dog  be 
returned.  In  regard  to  the  seller  shipping  the 
dog  to  its  destination,  we  will  say  that  we  think 
he  will  run  practically  no  risk  in  so  doing.  If 
the  dog  is  all  right  in  every  way  it  is  dollars  to 
doughnuts  that  he  will  arrive  in  perfect  condi- 
tion. We  can  say  that  in  over  twenty  years' 
shipments  of  dogs  to  all  parts  of  the  country  and 


114  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

beyond  we  have  never  had  a  dog  die  en  route, 
lost,  exchanged,  or  stolen.  I  think  the  express 
companies  of  this  country,  Canada,  Mexico,  and 
beyond,  are  to  be  highly  commended  for  the 
excellent  care  they  take  of  the  dogs  committed 
to  their  charge,  neither  do  I  think  the  express 
charges  are  ever  excessive,  when  one  considers 
the  value  of  the  dogs  carried. 

We  will  now  consider  the  case  of  the  buyer, 
assuming,  of  course,  he  is  known  or  capable  of 
presenting  suitable  references.  We  always  advise 
him  to  deal  with  kennels  or  dealers  of  estab- 
lished reputations.  Run  no  chances  with  any 
other  unless  you  desire  to  be  "trimmed."  Pray 
do  not  be  misled  by  glowing  advertisements 
(stating  that  they  have  the  largest  kennels  on 
earth)  in  every  paper  that  does  not  know  them. 
I  have  investigated  quite  a  number  of  these  so- 
called  kennels  and  found  they  usually  consisted 
of  an  old  box  stall  in  a  cheap  stable,  or  a  room 
over  an  equally  cheap  barroom,  and  their  stock 
in  trade  consisted  of  two  or  three  muts. 

Be  very  suspicious  of  any  man  who  advertises 
that  he  has  dogs  for  sale  that  can  win  in  fast 
company  for  fifty  or  a  hundred  dollars,  or  A  i 
bitches  in  whelp  to  noted  dogs  for  the  same 
price.  Any  man  who  possesses  these  kinds  of 
dogs  does  not  have  to  advertise  their  sale.  There 
are  plenty  of  people  here  in  Boston  only  too 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  115 

glad  to  buy  this  kind  of  stock  at  three  or  four 
times  this  price. 

I  attended  the  last  show  in  Boston  with  a 
number  of  orders  in  my  pocket,  but  failed  to 
discover  any  dogs  I  picked  out  possessing  the 
quality  described  at  anything  less  than  a  good 
stiff  price,  for  Boston  terriers  with  the  "hall 
mark"  of  quality  have  been,  are,  and,  I  believe, 
always  will  be,  as  staple  in  value  as  diamonds. 

The  number  of  letters  we  have  received  from 
all  over  the  country,  particularly  from  the  West, 
complaining  of  the  skin  games  played  upon 
them  by  fake  kennels  and  dealers,  would  make 
an  angel  weep,  and  make  one  almost  regret  that 
one  ever  knew  a  Boston.  If  the  same  ingenuity, 
skill  and  patience  employed  in  the  getting  up  of 
these  fake  advertisements  had  been  devoted  to 
the  breeding  of  the  dog,  this  class  of  advertising 
gentry  (?)  would  have  produced  something  fit 
to  sell.  It  is  stated  on  the  best  of  authority  that 
in  some  cases  nothing  was  shipped  for  money 
received. 

In  spite  of  this  vast  number  of  unscrupulous 
bleeders  and  dealers  scattered  abroad,  I  think 
the  chances  for  reliable  kennels  was  never  so 
good  as  now  in  the  history  of  the  breed.  Cream 
will  always  rise,  and  right  dealing,  whether  in 
dogs  or  diamonds,  will  ever  meet  with  their  just 
returns.  Remember  that  one  never  forgets  being 


u6  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

"taken  in"  in  a  horse  trade,  and  when,  instead  of 
a  horse  a  dog  is  involved,  I  think  one  never  for- 
gives as  well.  To  that  number  of  persons  who, 
in  their  daily  walks  of  life  are  fairly  honest,  but 
who,  when  it  comes  to  a  trade  in  dogs  are  apt 
to  lose  that  fine  sense  of  justice  that  should 
characterize  all  transactions,  we  would  say  with 
Shakespeare:  "To  thine  own  self  be  true. 
Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man."  Yea, 
we  would  repeat  the  command  of  a  greater  than 
Shakespeare,  to  whom,  I  trust,  we  all  pay  rev- 
erence, when  He  lays  down  for  us  all  the  Golden 
Rule:  "Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  would 
do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them." 

To  go  back  to  the  responsible  buyer  who  is 
in  the  market  for  a  good  dog,  we  say:  Send 
your  orders  to  responsible  men,  with  said  dogs 
to  sell,  stating  exactly  what  you  want,  and  the 
price  you  desire  to  pay,  agreeing  to  send  a  check 
just  as  soon  as  dogs  prove  satisfactory,  assum- 
ing, of  course,  express  charges.  Reputable 
dealers  and  breeders  are  looking  for  just  such 
customers. 

To  all  breeders  and  dealers  who  have  not  an 
established  reputation,  would  say:  Advertise 
accurately  what  you  have  for  sale  in  first  class 
reliable  papers  and  magazines.  In  regard  to 
prices,  the  following  scale,  adopted  by  us 
many  years  ago,  and  which  we  have  never  seen 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  117 

since  any  reason  to  change,  is  practically  as  fol- 
lows: 

For  pups  from  two  to  three  months  old,  from 
fifty  to  seventy-five  dollars.  When  six  months 
old,  from  seventy-five  to  a  hundred:  From  six 
months  to  maturity,  from  one  hundred  to  two 
hundred.  These  prices  are,  of  course,  for  the 
ordinary  all-around  good  dogs.  With  dogs  that 
approximate  perfection,  and  which  only  come  in 
the  same  proportion  as  giants  and  dwarfs  do  In 
the  human  race  (I  believe  the  proportion  is  one 
in  five  thousand),  and  the  advent  of  which 
would  surprise  the  average  kennel  man  as  much 
as  if  the  President  had  sent  him  a  special  invi- 
tation to  dine  with  him  at  the  White  House,  the 
price  is  problematical,  and  is  negotiated  solely 
by  the  demand  for  such  a  wonder  by  a  compara- 
tively few  buyers. 

I  think  Boston  terriers  as  a  breed  occupy  the 
same  position  amongst  dogs  as  the  hunter  and 
carriage  horse  does  amongst  horses.  Each  are 
more  or  less  a  luxury.  A  well  matched  pair  of 
horses  of  good  all-round  action,  of  desirable 
color  and  perfect  manners  and  suitable  age  will 
sell  in  the  Eastern  cities  (I  am  not  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  the  other  sections  of  the  country 
to  know  values  there)  at  from  eight  hundred  to 
two  thousand  dollars,  but  with  a  pair  of  carriage 
horses  able  to  win  on  the  tan  bark,  the  price  will 


iiS  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

be  regulated  by  the  comparatively  few  people 
who  have  sufficient  money  to  spare  to  purchase 
this  fashionable  luxury,  and  ten  times  the  amount 
paid  for  the  first  mentioned  pair  would  be  a  rea- 
sonable price  to  pay  for  the  prize  winners.  I 
think  the  winners  of  the  blue  in  the  Bostons 
would  fetch  a  relative  sum. 

The  important  factor  of  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion in  the  case  of  the  dog  necessarily  enters  into 
the  selling  price.  Good  Bostons  are  as  hard  to 
raise  as  first  class  hunters,  and  a  correspondingly 
large  sum  has  to  be  obtained  to  meet  expenses,  to 
say  nothing  of  profit,  but  in  the  writer's  experi- 
ence the  best  dog  or  horse  sells  the  readiest.  Do 
not  be  misled  by  the  remark  "that  a  dog  is  worth 
all  he  will  bring."  Generally  speaking,  this  is 
sound  logic,  but  not  always.  Many  dogs  have 
been  sold  for  very  little  by  people  not  cognizant 
of  their  value,  but  this  in  no  way  changed  the 
intrinsic  worth  of  the  dog.  On  the  other  hand, 
many  dogs  have  been  disposed  of  at  many  times 
their  real  value,  but  this  transaction  did  not 
enhance  their  worth  in  the  slightest  degree.  A 
gold  dollar  is  worth  one  hundred  cents  whether 
changed  for  fifty  cents  or  five  hundred.  An 
article  of  intrinsic  value  never  changes.  Our 
advice  to  all  who  have  dogs  for  sale  (or  any 
other  article,  in  fact),  ask  what  you  know  is  a 
good,  honest,  fair  value,  and  although  you  may 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  119 

not  sell  the  dog  today,  remember  that  there  are 
other  days  to  follow.  What  I  am  going  to  add 
now  I  know  a  great  many  dealers  and  breeders 
will  laugh  at  and  declare  me  a  fit  subject  for  an 
alienist  to  work  on,  but  it  is  fundamentally  true 
just  the  same,  and  is  this:  Never  ask  or  take 
for  a  dog  more  than  you  know  (not  guess)  the 
dog  is  worth.  This  is  nothing  but  ordinary, 
common  everyday  justice  that  every  man  has 
every  right  to  demand  of  his  fellow  man,  and 
every  man  that  is  a  gentleman  will  recognize 
the  truth  and  force  of. 

I  was  reading  a  novel  this  summer,  and  one 
statement  amongst  a  great  many  good  ones  im- 
pressed me.  It  stated  "that  all  men  were  divided 
into  two  classes:  those  that  behaved  themselves, 
and  those  who  did  not."  We  all  know  that 
society  has  divided  men  into  many  classes,  but 
I  think  any  thoughtful  man  will  confess,  in  the 
last  analysis,  that  the  novelist's  classification  was 
the  correct  one.  I  need  not  apply  the  moral. 

It  will  be  somewhat  of  a  temptation  to  resist 
taking  what  a  party,  liberally  supplied  with  this 
world's  goods,  will  frequently  in  their  ignorance 
offer  for  a  dog  that  appeals  to  them,  but  which 
the  owner  knows  perfectly  well  is  not  worth  the 
price  offered.  If  he  belongs  to  the  class  that 
behaves  themselves  he  will  tell  the  prospective 
buyer  what  the  dog  is  intrinsically  worth,  and 


120  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

point  out  the  reasons  why  he  is  not  worth  more. 
You  may  depend  that  you  have  not  only  obtained 
a  customer  for  life,  but  one  that  will  readily 
advertise  your  kennels  under  all  circumstances. 
I  shall  have  to  ask  the  reader  to  overlook  the 
apparent  egotism  of  the  statements  I  am  now 
about  to  make,  but  as  this  book  is  largely  the 
outgrowth  of  the  author's  own  experience,  of 
necessity  personal  matters  are  spoken  of. 

A  number  of  years  ago  I  received  an  order 
from  the  Western  coast,  through  a  Boston  house, 
for  a  good  all-round  puppy  at  two  hundred  dol- 
lars. I  sent  the  puppy  on,  and  much  to  the  sur- 
prise of  the  customer,  stated  my  price  for  him 
would  be  one  hundred  instead  of  two.  The 
pup  matured  into  a  very  nice  dog,  as  I  expected 
he  would,  being  a  Cracksman  pup  out  of  a  good 
bitch.  What  has  been  the  result  of  this  treat- 
ment? Ever  since  (and  no  later  than  yesterday), 
orders  for  dogs  from  this  gentleman  have  been 
coming  right  along. 

Another  case,  and  this  is  only  a  sample  of 
several  from  the  same  city :  A  number  of  years 
back  a  New  York  lady,  accompanied  by  her 
husband,  came  to  our  kennels  to  purchase  a  dog. 
I  had  quite  a  handsome  litter  of  five  or  six 
months  old  pups  by  "Merk  Jr.,"  out  of  Buster 
stock  on  the  dam's  side,  one  of  which,  a  perfectly 
marked  seal  brindle  female,  at  once  took  her 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  121 

fancy,  and  she  said:  "We  have  just  come  from 
another  large  kennel  in  Boston  where  they  asked 
us  three  hundred  dollars  for  a  little  female  I 
do  not  like  nearly  as  well  as  this  one."  Her 
husband  was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  one  of 
the  largest  trusts  in  the  country,  and  money  was 
apparently  no  object,  and  when  I  replied,  "Mrs. 
Keller,  that  dog  you  select  is  not  worth  over 
fifty  dollars  (the  price  I  afterwards  sold  her  for) 
and  the  best  dog  in  the  litter  I  shall  be  glad  to 
let  you  have  for  seventy-five,"  she  seemed  much 
surprised.  I  then,  of  course,  told  her  that  the 
dogs  were  not  worth  more  as  their  muzzles  were 
not  deep  enough  to  be  worth  a  higher  price  than 
I  wanted.  I  recently  received  a  letter  from  her 
stating  that  her  dog  was  still  as  active  and  much 
loved  as  ever,  and  the  number  of  orders  that 
have  come  to  me  through  the  sale  of  this  dog 
would  surprise  the  owners  of  those  kennels  who 
stick  their  customers  with  an  outrageous  price, 
and  who  find  to  their  sorrow  that  no  subsequent 
orders  ever  come,  either  from  the  customer  or 
any  one  else  in  the  vicinity.  People  have  a  way 
sooner  or  later  (usually  sooner)  in  discovering 
when  they  have  been  overcharged  and  act  ac- 
cordingly. 

One  other  recommendation  I  wish  to  make  in 
place  here  is:  "Never  try  to  fill  an  order  that 
one  has  not  the  dogs  to  suit."  Frankly  say  so, 


122  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

and  recommend  a  brother  fancier  that  you  know 
has.  One  good  turn  deserves  another  and  he 
may  have  a  chance  later  to  reciprocate.  This 
creates  a  kindly  feeling  amongst  kennel  men, 
and  is  productive  of  good  will,  and  ofttimes  a 
large  increase  in  business.  A  few  years  ago  a 
lady  from  Connecticut  came  to  see  me  to  buy 
a  first  class  dog  or  a  pair,  if  she  could  get  suited. 
I  knew  that  in  the  past  she  had  paid  the  highest 
price  for  her  Bostons,  and  she  wanted  a  dog  in 
the  neighborhood  of  two  thousand  dollars.  I  told 
her  at  once  I  had  nothing  for  sale  to  suit  her,  but 
that  I  knew  a  man  who  owned  a  dog  I  considered 
worth  about  that  sum,  and  recommended  her 
strongly  to  buy  him,  and  sent  her  to  Mr.  Keady, 
who  sold  to  her  "Gordon  Boy"  for  that  price. 
The  sequel  to  this  is  somewhat  amusing  and 
shows  how  reciprocity  did  not  take  place.  I 
went  to  see  a  litter  of  pups  at  Mr.  Keady's  house 
soon  after,  and  expected  to  obtain  a  somewhat 
favorable  price  on  the  pup  I  picked  out  of  the 
litter  on  account  of  the  sale  of  the  dog,  and 
offered  the  gentleman  three  hundred  dollars  for 
him,  upon  which  he  replied:  "Mr.  Axtell,  do 
you  think  that  five  weeks  old  pup  is  worth  that 
sum?"  and  upon  my  replying,  "I  certainly  do," 
instead  of  saying,  "All  right,  take  him,"  he  ex- 
claimed: "If  that  is  your  opinion,  and  I  know 
you  always  say  what  you  believe,  then  he  is 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  123 

worth  that  sum  to  me,"  and  put  him  back  in  the 
box.  He  subsequently  sold  him  to  Mr.  Borden 
for  over  six  thousand  dollars,  the  highest  price 
ever  obtained  for  a  Boston. 

While  writing  on  the  subject  of  sales,  I  think 
it  will  be  in  order  to  speak  of  a  matter  that  is 
a  source  of  anxiety  to  a  great  many  breeders, 
and  that  is  the  getting  rid  of  the  small  bitches 
that  are  too  small  to  breed.  We  have  always 
found  a  ready  sale  for  these  when  properly 
spayed  for  ladies'  pets,  largely  in  New  York 
city.  They  make  ideal  house  dogs,  perhaps 
more  winning  and  affectionate  in  their  manner 
than  others,  never  wandering  off,  and  I  believe 
the  license  fee  is  the  same  as  for  a  male.  Great 
care  must  be  taken  that  the  operation  is  thor- 
oughly performed  by  a  competent  veterinary, 
and  it  is  usually  best  done  when  the  pup  is  six 
months  old.  My  first  experience  may  be  of 
value  and  interest.  I  had  a  little  "Buster"  bitch 
that  I  felt  assured  to  my  sorrow  was  to  small  to 
whelp  successfully,  and  being  much  fancied  by 
a  lady  doctor  in  Waterbury,  Conn.,  advised  spay- 
ing before  being  sent.  I  took  her  to  a  veterinary 
with  a  good  reputation  in  Boston,  and  after  the 
dog  had  fully  recovered  from  the  operation,  sent 
her  to  Dr.  Conky.  What  was  my  surprise  to 
hear  that  when  nine  months  old  she  had  come 
"in  season."  I  sent  the  ex-President  of  the 


124  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Boston  Terrier  Club,  Dr.  Osgood,  down  and  an 
additional  cost  of  fifty  dollars  ensued,  whereas 
the  first  charge  of  two  dollars  would  have  been 
all  that  was  necessary  if  the  operation  had  been 
properly  done  in  the  first  place  .  Am  glad  to  say 
I  have  seen  no  failures  since.  I  can  conceive  of 
no  reason  why  there  should  not  be  a  ready  sale 
for  this  class  of  dogs  in  all  sections  of  the  coun- 
try, and  the  disposal  of  the  same  will  materially 
help  the  income  of  a  great  many  breeders. 

In  conclusion  let  me  state:  "Put  a  price  on 
your  dogs  that  in  your  best  judgment  you  know 
(not  guess)  to  be  a  fair  and  equitable  one  (and 
if  unable  to  decide  what  is  right,  call  in  an  hon- 
orable expert  who  can)  and  take  neither  more 
nor  less.  Always  remember  that  a  man  can 
raise  horses,  corn,  cotton,  or  dogs  (or  any  other 
honest  product)  and  be  a  gentleman,  but  the 
moment  he  raises  "Cain"  he  ceases  to  be  one. 


Gordon  Boy 


CHAPTER  XI. 


BOSTON  TERRIER  TYPE  AND  THE 
STANDARD. 


The  standard  adopted  by  the  Boston  Terrier 
Club  in  1900  was  the  result  of  earnest,  sincere, 
thoughtful  deliberations  of  as  conservative  and 
conscientious  a  body  of  men  as  could  anywhere 
be  gotten  together.  Nothing  was  done  in  haste, 
the  utmost  consideration  was  given  to  every  de- 
tail, and  it  was  a  thoroughly  matured,  and 
practically  infallible  guide  to  the  general  charac- 
ter and  type  of  the  breed  by  men  who  were 
genuine  lovers  of  the  dog  for  its  own  sake,  who 
were  perfectly  familiar  with  the  breed  from  its 
start,  and  who  were  cognizant  of  every  point 
and  characteristc  which  differentiated  him  from 
the  bulldog  on  the  one  side  and  the  bull  terrier 
on  the  other,  and  while  admitting  the  just 
claims  of  every  other  breed,  believed  sincerely 
that  the  dog  evolved  under  their  fostering  care 
was  the  peer,  if  not  the  superior,  of  all  in  the 
particular  sphere  for  which  he  was  designed, 


126  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

an  all-round  house  dog  and  companion.  In  the 
writer's  estimation  this  type  of  dog,  for  the  par- 
ticular position  in  life,  so  to  speak,  he  is  to  oc- 
cupy, could  not  in  any  way  be  improved,  and 
the  mental  qualities  that  accompany  the  physical 
characteristics  (which  are  particularly  specified 
in  the  first  chapter)  are  of  such  inestimable 
value  that  any  possible  change  would  be  detri- 
mental. It  may  be  observed  that  it  was  the  dogs 
of  this  type  that  have  led  the  van  everywhere 
in  the  days  when  he  was  practically  unknown 
outside  of  the  state  in  which  he  originated. 
"Monte,"  "Druid  Vixon,"  "Bonnie,"  "Revilo 
Peach,"  and  dogs  of  their  conformation  possessed 
a  type  of  interesting  individuality  that  blazed 
the  way  east,  west,  north  and  south.  Does  any 
one  imagine  that  the  so-called  terrier  type  one  so 
often  hears  of,  and  which  a  large  number  of  peo- 
ple are  apparently  led  today  to  believe  to  be 
"par  excellence,"  the  correct  thing,  would  have 
been  capable  of  so  doing?  No  one  realizes  more 
fully  than  the  writer  the  fact  that  the  bully  type 
can  be  carried  too  far,  and  great  harm  will 
inevitably  ensue,  but  the  swing  of  the  pendu- 
lum to  the  exaggerated  terrier  type  will  in  time, 
I  firmly  believe,  ring  in  his  death  knell.  It  is 
a  source  of  wonderment  to  me  that  numbers  of 
men  who  don  the  ermine  can  distribute  prizes  to 
the  weedy  specimens,  shallow  in  muzzle,  light  in 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  127 

bone  and  substance,  long  in  body,  head  and  tail, 
who  adorn  (?)  the  shows  of  the  past  few  years. 
I  am  not  a  prophet,  neither  the  son  of  one,  but  I 
will  hazard  my  reputation  in  predicting  that  be- 
fore many  years  have  rolled,  a  type,  approximat- 
ing that  authorized  by  the  Boston  Terrier  Club 
in  1900  will  prevail,  and  the  friends  of  the  dog 
will  undoubtedly  believe  it  to  be  good  enough 
to  last  for  all  time. 

It  will  readily  be  recalled  that  Lord  Byron 
said  of  the  eminent  actor,  Sheridan,  "that  nature 
broke  the  die  in  moulding  one  such  man,"  and 
the  same  may  be  affirmed  with  equal  truth  of  the 
Boston  terrier,  and  he  will  ever  remain  a  type 
superior  to  and  differ  from  all  other  breeds  in 
his  particular  sphere. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  by  those  who 
are  insisting  on  a  much  more  terrier  conforma- 
tion than  the  standard  calls  for,  that  an  equally 
extreme  desire  for  an  exaggerated  bull  type  pre- 
vailed a  number  of  years  ago  amongst  some  of  the 
dogs'  warmest  supporters,  whose  ideal  was  that 
practically  of  a  miniature  bulldog,  without  the 
pronounced  contour  of  the  same.  I  remember 
when  I  joined  the  Club  in  the  early  days  that 
some  of  the  members  then  were  afraid  that  the 
dogs  were  approximating  too  much  to  the  terrier 
side  of  the  house.  What  their  views  today  would 
be  I  leave  the  reader  to  imagine.  The  plain 


T28  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

fact  of  the  case  is,  the  dog  should  be  a  happy 
medium  between  the  two,  the  bull  and  the  ter- 
rier. Can  any  intelligent  man  find  a  chance  "for 
improvement  here?  I  admit  that  many  people 
are  so  constituted  that  a  change  is  necessary  in 
practically  everything  they  are  brought  into  close 
contact  with.  But  is  a  change  necessarily  an 
improvement?  If  some  men  could  change  the 
color  of  their  eyes  or  the  general  contour  of 
their  features  they  would  never  rest  satisfied 
until  they  had  so  done,  but  they  would  speedily 
find  out  that  such  a  change  would  be  very  detri- 
mental to  their  appearance,  the  harmony  of  fea- 
tures and  corelation  of  one  part  to  another 
would  be  distorted.  I  admit  readily  that  one 
very  important  result  would  be  obtained,  viz., 
the  dog  of  the  pronounced  terrier  type  could  be 
bred  much  more  easily.  But  is  an  easy  produc- 
tion a  desideratum?  I  certainly  think  not.  To 
those  who  "must  be  doing  something"  and  who 
find  a  certain  sense  of  satisfaction  in  tinkering 
with  the  standard,  we  extend  our  pity,  and 
state  that  experience  is  a  hard  school,  but  some 
people  will  learn  in  no  other.  To  those  of  us 
who  love  the  dog  as  he  is,  and  who  believe  in 
"letting  well  enough  alone,"  we  admit  we  might 
as  well  suggest  to  improve  the  majestic  propor- 
tions of  the  old  world  cathedrals  and  castles  we 
all  love  so  much  to  see,  or  advocate  the  lighten- 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  129 

ing  up  of  the  shadows  on  the  canvas  of  the  old 
masters,  or  recommend  the  touching  up  of  the 
immortal  carvings  of  the  Italian  sculptors.  We 
advise  the  preacher  to  stick  to  his  text,  and  the 
shoemaker  to  his  last,  and  to  all  those  who  would 
improve  the  standard  we  say:  Hands  off!  One 
very  important  feature  in  connection  with  the 
Standard  is,  that  while  breeders  and  judges  are 
perfectly  willing  to  have  all  dogs  that  come  in 
the  heavyweight  class  conform  practically  to  it, 
when  the  lightweights  and  toys  are  concerned, 
a  somewhat  different  type  is  permitted  and  the 
so-called  terrier  type  is  allowed,  hence  we  see  a 
tendency  with  the  smaller  dogs  to  a  narrower 
chest,  longer  face  and  tail.  While  personally  I 
am  in  favor  of  a  dog  weighing  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  pounds,  or  even  somewhat  heavier,  there 
is  absolutely  no  reason  why  one  should  not  have 
any  sized  dog  one  desires,  but  please  observe, 
do  not  breed  small  dogs  at  the  expense  of  the 
type.  Let  the  ten  or  twelve  pound  dog  conform 
to  the  standard  as  much  as  if  it  weighed  twenty. 
I  think  an  object  lesson  will  be  of  inestimable 
value  here.  Every  one  who  has  visited  the  poul- 
try shows  of  the  past  few  years  must  have  been 
delighted  and  impressed  to  see  the  beautiful 
varieties  of  bantams.  Take  the  games,  for  ex- 
ample, with  their  magnificent  plumage  and 
sprightly  bearing.  On  even  a  casual  examina- 


130  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

tion  it  will  be  discovered  that  these  little  fowls 
are  an  exact  reproduction  of  the  game  fowl  in 
miniature.  The  same  identical  proportions, 
symmetry  and  shape.  Take  the  lordly  Brahma 
and  the  bantam  bearing  the  same  name,  and  the 
same  exact  proportions  prevail.  And  so  it  should 
be  with  the  small  Boston  terrier.  They  should 
possess  the  same  proportions  and  symmetry  as  the 
larger.  Remember  always  that  when  the  dog  is 
bred  too  much  away  from  the  bulldog  type, 
a  great  loss  in  the  loving  disposition  of  the  dog 
is  bound  to  ensue.  Personally,  if  the  type  had 
to  be  changed,  I  would  rather  lean  to  the  bull 
type  than  the  terrier.  The  following  testimony 
of  a  Boston  banker  and  director  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad,  to  whom  I  sold  two  large  dogs 
that  were  decidedly  on  the  bull  type,  may  be  of 
interest  at  this  point.  Speaking  of  the  first  dog 
he  said:  "I  have  had  all  kinds  of  dogs,  but  I 
get  more  genuine  pleasure  out  of  my  Boston 
terrier  than  all  my  other  dogs  combined.  When 
I  reach  home  in  the  afternoon  I  am  met  at  the 
gate  by  Prince,  and  when  I  sit  down  to  read  my 
paper  or  a  book  the  dog  is  at  my  feet  on  the 
rug,  staying  there  perfectly  still  as  long  as  I 
do.  When  dinner  is  announced  he  goes  with 
me  to  the  dining  room,  takes  his  place  by  my 
side,  and  every  little  while  licks  my  hands,  and 
when  I  go  out  for  my  usual  walk  before  retir- 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  131 

ing  the  dog  is  waiting  for  me  at  the  door  while 
I  put  my  hat  and  coat  on.  He  follows  me,  never 
running  away  or  barking,  and  he  sleeps  on  a  mat 
outside  my  door  at  night,  and  I  never  worry 
about  burglars."  All  this  is  very  simple  and 
commonplace,  but  it  shows  why  this  type  of  a 
dog  is  liked.  In  regard  to  the  differences  of 
opinion  that  different  judges  exhibit  when  pass- 
ing upon  a  dog  in  the  show  room,  one  preferring 
one  type  of  a  dog  and  the  other  another,  this,  of 
course,  is  morally  wrong.  The  standard  re- 
quirements should  govern,  and  not  individual 
preferences.  We  hear  a  good  deal  said  nowa- 
days about  the  cleaning  up  of  the  head,  and  the 
so-called  terrier  finish.  That  seems  to  be  the 
thing  to  do,  but  does  not  the  standard  call  for 
a  compactly  built  dog,  finished  in  every  part  of 
his  make-up,  and  possessing  style  and  a  grace- 
ful carriage?  This  being  the  case,  a  dog  should 
not  possess  wrinkled,  loose  skin  on  head  or  neck, 
and  the  shoulders  should  be  neat  and  trim.  In 
a  word,  in  comporting  to  the  standard  a  dog  is 
produced  that  possesses  a  harmonious  whole,  "a 
thing  of  beauty"  and  a  joy  as  long  as  he  lives. 
In  short,  the  dog  should  be  as  far  removed  from 
the  bull  type  as  he  is  from  the  terrier.  If  the 
present  judges  can  not  see  their  way  clear  to 
follow  the  standard,  why,  appoint  those  that 
will,  for  as  every  fair  minded  man  agrees,  the 


132  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

dogs  should  follow  the  standard  and  not  the 
standard  follow  the  dogs.  It  is  needless  to  add 
that  I  do  not  share  in  the  pessimistic  view  taken 
by  many  lovers  of  the  dog  who  think  he  will 
be  permanently  injured  by  the  differences  of 
opinion  that  prevail  as  to  the  type,  etc.,  and  the 
personalities  that  sometimes  mar  the  showing 
of  the  dog,  for  I  am  of  the  same  opinion  as  was 
probably  felt  by  the  great  fish  who  had  to  give 
up  Jonah,  "that  it  is  an  impossible  feat  to  keep 
a  good  man  (or  dog)  down,"  and  that  instead  of 
falling  off,  as  one  writer  intimates,  he  will  fall 
into  the  good  graces  of  a  larger  number  of  peo- 
ple than  has  heretofore  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any 
variety  of  man's  best  friend. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


PICTURE  TAKING 


It  would  seem  at  the  first  glance  that  to 
write  on  this  subject  was  only  a  waste  of  time 
and  energy,  and  yet  I  know  that  no  one  fea- 
ture of  the  dog  business  is  more  vital  in 
importance  or  more  fraught  with  trouble  than 
this  apparently  simple  process  of  dog  photo- 
graphy. 

The  novice  will  at  once  exclaim:  "What 
could  be  more  natural  than  sending  on  a  pic- 
ture of  a  dog  I  want  to  sell  to  the  prospective 
customer?  Surely  he  can  see  exactly  what 
he  is  purchasing!"  This  may  be  perfectly 
true,  and  yet  again  it  may  not. 

I  am  not  writing  of  the  subject  of  false  pic- 
tures on  the  stud  cards  of  some  unscrupulous 
breeders,  or  those  pictures  taken  of  dogs  whose 
markings  are  faked,  only  too  common  in  some 
quarters.  The  photos  look  good,  of  course,  to 
the  buyer,  but  when  the  dog  arrives,  he  finds, 
to  his  disgust,  that  the  beautiful  markings,  in 


134  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

some  mysterious  manner,  got  "rubbed  off" 
while  making  the  journey  in  the  crate.  I  re- 
cently saw  a  photograph  of  a  dog  sold  to  a 
Western  customer,  by  a  dealer  in  an  adjoining 
town  to  mine,  taken  by  an  artist  in  photo- 
graphy when  the  dog  was  all  "chalked  up". 
When  the  dog  arrived  he  was  as  free  from 
nose  band  as  my  pocket  is  frequently  of  a  dol- 
lar bill.  Small  wonder  the  buyer  remarked 
with  emphasis  that  the  dealer  was  a  fraud. 
One  can  almost  forgive  his  exclamation,  which 
he  surely  had  not  learned  at  Sunday  school,  at 
being  taken  in,  in  so  mean  a  way. 

I  am  writing  more  particularly  of  the  art  of 
the  photographer  in  bringing  out  the  best 
points  of  the  dog,  and  effectually  hiding  the 
poorer  ones.  How  many  times  have  we  heard 
the  dealer  say,  in  speaking  of  a  dog  with  good 
markings,  but  off  in  many  other  respects :  "He 
will  make  a  good  seller  to  ship  away,  as  I  can 
get  a  good  looking  picture  of  him."  He  knows 
perfectly  well  that  a  clever  photographer  can 
so  pose  the  dog  as  to  hide  bad  defects.  A  long 
muzzle,  a  long  back,  or  one  badly  reached, 
poor  tail,  bad  legs  and  feet,  can  all  be  mini- 
mized by  posing  the  dog  on  the  stand.  The 
buyer,  on  receipt  of  the  dog,  although 
thoroughly  satisfied,  will  have  to  admit  that 
the  photo  is  a  genuine  one,  and,  in  most  cases, 
is  unable  to  obtain  any  redress. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  135 

Another  very  important  side  of  dog  photo- 
graphy is  the  mania  for  picture  collecting. 
Some  time  ago  I  saw  a  signed  article  in  "Dog- 
dom",  from  a  very  charming  lady  living  in  a 
city  fifty  miles  from  Boston,  asserting  she  was 
about  to  retire  from  the  Boston  terrier  game, 
as  it  cost  her  too  much  to  furnish  photos  of 
her  dogs  to  people  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, who,  under  the  guise  of  wishing  to  buy 
dogs,  wanted  photos  and  pedigrees  of  the 
same.  They  usually  stated  that  if  they  did  not 
purchase  the  dog,  the  photo  and  pedigree 
would  be  promptly  returned.  This  was  the 
last  she  ever  heard  of  them,  and  pictures  were 
rarely  if  ever,  returned.  As  her  photos  were 
taken  by  a  first  class  photographer,  the  cost 
was  considerable,  and  the  photos  were  really 
works  of  art,  which,  perhaps,  may  be  one  rea- 
son why  the  recipients  could  not  bear  to  let 
them  go  back.  She  was  a  lady  of  large  wealth, 
and  she  had  established  a  kennel  of  real  Bos- 
tons, presided  over  by  an  expert  kennel-maid, 
and  would  have  become  a  genuine  help  to  the 
breed,  but  "pictures"  were  her  undoing. 

Since  the  American  dog  has  become  the  most 
popular  breed  in  the  canine  world,  many  people, 
who  cannot  afford  to  purchase  a  choice  spe- 
cimen, seem  to  rest  satisfied  when  they  can 
obtain  a  photo,  and  they  have  no  scruples  ap- 
parently in  writing  to  the  leading  kennels  for 


136  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

pictures  of  their  leading  dogs.  I  have  had 
many  instances  come  under  my  notice,  bat, 
for  want  of  space,  only  one  typical  case  can 
be  mentioned. 

A  few  years  ago,  on  visiting  a  city  a  short 
distance  from  Boston,  I  was  accosted  by  a 
young  man,  rather  flashily  attired,  who  invited 
me  to  call  and  see  his  kennels,  assuring  me  he 
had  some  cracker-jacks.  As  I  was  unaware 
of  the  existence  of  any  number  of  A-l  Bostons 
in  his  neighborhood,  my  curiosity  was  aroused 
and  I  went.  I  found  the  dogs  quartered  in  a 
back  room  in  a  very  small  house.  I  have  never 
seen  such  a  collection  of  the  aristocrats  of  the 
breed  before  or  since. 

When  I  found  my  voice,  I  managed  to  ex- 
claim: "Allow  me  to  congratulate  you,  my 
dear  sir,  I  have  never  seen  so  many  good  dogs 
kenneled  in  so  small  a  space  before.  You  are 
certainly  a  very  lucky  man ;  the  food  problem 
never  troubles  you ;  you  do  not  have  to  dodge 
the  tax  collector ;  no  need  ever  to  call  in  a  vet. ; 
no  neighbors  can  ever  complain  of  being  kept 
awake  at  night,  and  the  dogs  that  are  tacked 
upon  the  ceiling  seem  just  as  content  as  those 
pasted  on  the  walls." 

He  then  produced  his  book  where  the  pedi- 
grees of  the  dogs  were  neatly  recorded.  The 
trouble  is,  he  is  not  the  only  one  who  owns 
such  a  kennel  of  thorough-breds. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  137 

It  must  not  be  inferred  from  the  above  that 
I  am  averse  to  picture  taking.  By  no  means. 
They  are  absolutely  necessary.  But  make 
them  "Pen  Pictures".  Write  a  complete  de- 
scription of  the  dog  in  question,  giving  actual 
weight,  age,  conformation,  color  and  markings, 
condition  of  health,  and  disposition.  State  the 
color  of  the  brindle  and  the  extent  of  the  mark- 
ings whether  full  or  partial.  Do  not  state  that 
the  dog  has  perfect  markings  if  it  lacks  a  collar 
or  white  feet.  If  banded  only  on  one  side  of 
the  muzzle,  say  so.  If  pinched  or  undershot, 
say  so.  If  reached  in  back,  poor  eyes,  weak  in 
hind  quarters  or  off  in  tail,  say  so.  In  fact, 
plainly  state  any  defects.  At  the  same  time,  if 
the  dog  is  pratically  O.  K.  in  all  respects,  styl- 
ish and  trappy,  do  not  hesitate  to  emphasize 
the  fact,  and  if  the  dog  likewise  possesses  a 
charming,  delightful  personality,  make  the 
most  of  it.  Always  remember  that  the  perfect 
Boston  terrier  dies  young ! 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


NOTES 


There  are  several  features  of  vital  import 
in  Boston  terrier  breeding  that  the  passing 
years  have  disclosed  to  the  writer  the  impera- 
tive need  of  attention  to.  Most  of  these  have 
been  spoken  of  in  this  book  before,  but  they 
seem  to  me  at  the  present  time  to  demand 
being  specially  emphasized.  Feeding  and  its 
relation  to  skin  diseases,  I  think,  naturally 
heads  the  list. 

I  have  received  more  letters  of  inquiry  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  asking  what  to  do  for 
skin  trouble  than  for  all  other  ailments  com- 
bined. I  think  our  little  dog  is  more  suscepti- 
ble to  skin  affections  than  most  dogs,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  he  is  more  or  less  a  house  pet, 
and  does  not  get  the  chance  of  as  much  out- 
door exercise,  and  the  access  to  nature's  rem- 
edy— grass,  as  most  breeds.  At  the  same  time 
if  fed  properly,  given  sufficient  life  in  the  open, 
no  dog  possesses  a  more  beautiful  glossy  coat. 

No  one  factor  is  more  responsible  for  skin 
trouble  than  the  indiscriminate  feeding  of  dog 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  139 

biscuit.  These,  as  previously  written,  are  first 
rate  supplementary  food,  but  where  they  are 
made  the  "piece  de  resistance,"  look  out  for 
breakers  ahead.  The  mere  fact  of  their  being 
available  under  all  circumstances  and  in  all 
places  contributes  largely  to  their  general  use. 

At  the  new  million  dollar  Angell  Memorial 
Animal  Hospital,  Boston,  Doctors  Daly  and 
Flanigan  have  conducted  a  series  of  scientific 
experiments  on  dogs.  I  had  talked  with  Dr. 
Flanigan,  and  stated  my  experience  was  that 
an  exclusive  dog  biscuit  diet  was  the  cause  of 
skin  trouble  invariably. 

They  selected  forty  dogs  in  perfect  physical 
condition,  dividing  them  into  two  groups  of 
twenty  each.  To  one  was  fed  exclusively  dog 
biscuits,  and  the  other  a  diet  of  milk  in  the 
morning,  and  at  night  a  feed  composed  of  a 
liberal  amount  of  spinach — they  had  to  use 
the  canned  article  as  it  was  in  winter — boiled 
with  meat  scraps  and  thickened  with  sound 
stale  bread. 

At  the  end  of  a  fortnight  seventeen  of  the 
first  group  were  afflicted  more  or  less  with 
skin  trouble,  while  the  other  twenty  were  in 
the  pink  of  condition.  To  effect  a  cure,  the  spin- 
ach diet — called  by  the  French  "the  broom  of 
the  stomach" — was  fed,  and  the  coat  washed 
with  a  weak  sulpho-naptha  solution.  No  inter- 
nal medicine  was  given.  In  a  month's  time  the 


140  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

coats  of  the  dogs  were  normal.  Further  com- 
ment on  this  is  unnecessary. 

Next  in  importance  to  spinach  I  place  car- 
rots and  cabbage,  boiled  up  with  the  meat  and 
rice,  oat  meal  and  occasionally  corn  meal. 
Don't  be  afraid  to  give  a  good  quantity  of  the 
sliced  boiled  carrots,  especially  in  the  winter 
season  when  the  dogs  cannot  obtain  grass. 

A  short  time  ago,  I  went  to  see  a  group  of 
trained  monkeys  and  dogs  perform.  They  both 
looked  in  beautiful  condition,  and  on  enquiring 
of  the  proprietor  as  to  his  methods  of  feeding, 
he  said  it  was  a  very  easy  matter,  as  he  had 
trained  both  dogs  and  monkeys  to  eat  raw 
carrots  while  on  the  road,  during  which  time 
he  had  to  feed  dog  biscuits.  When  at  home  in 
New  York  he  fed  a  vegetable  hash  with  sound 
meat  and  rye  bread,  using  largely  carrots, 
beets,  a  very  few  potatoes  and  some  apples. 
While  on  the  road  he  had  no  facilities  for  cook- 
ing for  his  animals  so  he  accustomed  them  to 
eating  cut  up  raw  carrots  every  other  day. 
Previous  to  this  he  was  bothered  with  skin 
trouble  with  both  dogs  and  monkeys. 

The  food  problem  at  the  present  time  is  a 
very  serious  one.  The  high  cost  of  all  sorts  of 
food  of  every  variety  should  force  those  breed- 
ers who  have  been  keeping  a  very  inferior 
stock  to  make  up  their  minds  once  and  for  all 
that  it  takes  just  as  much  time  and  cost  to 


Champion    Dean's    Lady    Luana. 


Mrs.  William  Kuback,  with  Ch.  Lady  Sensation 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  141 

raise  "mutts"  as  it  does  the  real  article.  Weed 
out  the  inferior  stock  that  never  did  or  will 
pay  for  their  keep.  Keep  half  a  dozen  good 
ones  that  will  reproduce,  if  bred  rightly,  their 
quality,  if  you  have  not  plenty  of  room  for  a 
large  number.  To  those  fanciers  who  only  own 
two  or  three,  sufficient  food  is  usually  furnished 
from  the  scraps  left  from  the  table,  supple- 
mented, of  course,  with  dog  biscuit. 

Many  kennel-men,  who  have  a  large  number 
of  dogs  to  feed,  obtain  daily  from  hotels  or 
boarding  houses  the  table  scraps,  and  this 
makes  an  ideal  food.  We  fed  quite  a  large 
number  of  dogs  for  several  years  in  this  way 
with  perfect  success.  I  know  of  a  large  pack 
of  foxhounds  that  are  fed  from  the  same  food 
furnished  by  a  large  hotel.  Fish  heads  boiled 
with  vegetables  make  a  good  diet  —  be  sure 
there  are  no  fish  hooks  left  in  them,  and  the 
scraps  from  the  butchers  that  are  not  quite 
fit  for  human  consumption  make  ideal  food 
when  cooked  with  rice  or  vegetables.  Be  care- 
ful they  are  not  too  old,  however.  When 
skimmed  milk  is  obtainable  at  the  right  price, 
with  waste  stale  bread,  it  makes  a  well  bal- 
anced ration  for  occasional  feeding.  A  few 
onions  boiled  up  with  the  feed  are  always  in 
order. 

I  think  the  subject  of  "Tails"  requires  more 
than  a  passing  mention  here.  All  observers  at 


142  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

the  recent  shows  must  have  noticed  the  ten- 
dency toward  a  lengthening  in  many  of  the 
tails  of  the  dogs  on  the  bench.  Some  dogs 
have  been  awarded  high  honors  which  carried 
"more  than  the  law  allows",  owing  doubtless 
to  their  other  excellent  qualities.  While  I  per- 
sonally believe  in  a  happy  medium,  never  lose 
sight  of  the  fact  that  a  good  short  screw  tail 
has  always  been,  and,  I  believe,  will  always 
remain  a  leading  characteristic  of  the  Ameri- 
can dog. 

In  selecting  a  stud  dog  be  certain  his  tail  is 
O.  K.  The  bitch  can  very  well  afford  to  carry 
a  longer  one,  and  usually  whelps  better  on  this 
account.  I  know  of  nothing  more  discourag- 
ing in  the  Boston  terrier  game  than  to  have  a 
litter  of  choice  puppies  in  every  other  respect, 
but  off  in  tails. 

While  writing  on  the  subject  of  tails,  it  may 
not  be  out  of  place  to  note  an  interesting  fact 
in  connection  with  this  at  the  earliest  history 
of  our  little  dog.  Mr.  John  Barnard  became 
the  possessor  of  Tom,  afterward  known  as 
Barnard's  Tom.  This  was  the  first  Boston  ter- 
rier to  rejoice  in  a  screw  tail.  Mr.  Barnard 
did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it,  so  he  took 
the  pup  to  old  Dr.  Saunders,  a  well  known  and 
respected  veterinary  surgeon  of  the  day,  to 
have  the  tail,  if  possible,  put  into  splints  and 
straightened  T  guess  there  have  been  quite 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  143 

a  number  of  pups,  descendants  of  Tom,  whose 
owners  would  have  beenonly  too  glad  tohave  had 
their  straight  tails  put  in  splints,  if,  thereby,  it 
would  have  been  possible  to  produce  a  "screw". 

I  think  the  subject  of  sufficient  importance 
to  again  call  the  attention  of  breeders  to  the 
necessity  of  the  extreme  care  in  breeding  seal 
brindles.  The  demand  started  some  years  ago 
for  very  dark  color  has  placed  upon  the  mar- 
ket many  dogs  devoid  of  any  brindle  shading. 
At  the  last  Boston  Terrier  Club  specialty  show 
a  beautiful  little  dog,  almost  perfect  in  every 
other  respect,  was  given  the  gate  on  account 
of  being  practically  black. 

In  my  former  chapter  on  Color  Breeding,  I 
urged  the  necessity  of  using  a  red  or  light  ma- 
hogany brindle  on  black  stock.  If  either  sex 
come  black,  never  use  any  other  color  than 
these  to  mix  in.  Enough  said  ! 

One  is  constantly  hearing  from  all  parts  of 
the  country  of  the  prevalence  of  bitches  miss- 
ing. Where  they  are  bred  to  over-worked 
stud  dogs  no  surprise  need  be  manifested.  In 
case  of  a  "miss"  have  the  bitch  bred  two  or 
three  times  to  the  dog  next  time.  If  she  misses 
then,  the  next  time  let  her  run  with  the  dog 
for  several  days.  I  have  written  this  before, 
but  it  will  bear  repetition. 

Do  not  acquire  the  habit  of  getting  rid  of 
the  matrons  of  the  kennel  when  six  or  seven 


144  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

years  old.  Many  bitches  give  birth  to  strong 
pups  when  eight  or  nine  years  old.  I  write, 
of  course,  of  those  in  strong,  vigorous  con- 
dition, that  have  always  had  plenty  of  good 
outdoor  exercise. 

Remember,  there  is  no  spot  on  this  broad 
land  where  the  Boston  terrier  does  not  make 
himself  thoroughly  "at  home."  What  more  can 
one  wish? 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
CONCLUSION 

I  was  sitting  by  an  open  fire  the  other 
evening,  and  there  passed  through  my  mind 
a  review  of  the  breed  since  I  saw  a  great 
many  years  ago,  when  the  world,  to  me,  was 
young,  a  handsome  little  lad  leading  down 
Beacon  street,  Boston,  two  dogs,  of  a  different 
type  than  I  had  ever  seen  before,  that  seemed 
to  have  stamped  upon  them  an  individual  per- 
sonality and  style.  They  were  not  bulldogs, 
neither  were  they  bull  terriers;  breeds  with 
which  I  had  been  familiar  all  my  life; 
but  appeared  to  be  a  happy  combination  of 
both.  I  need  hardly  say  that  one  was  Bar- 
nard's Tom,  and  the  other  his  litter  brother, 
Atkinson's  Toby.  Tom  was  the  one  destined 
to  make  Boston  terrier  history,  as  he  was  the 
sire  of  Barnard's  Mike. 

Mr.  J.  P.  Barnard  has  rightly  been  called 
the  "Father  of  the  Boston  terrier,"  and  he 
vStill  lives,  hale  and  hearty.  May  his  last  days 
be  his  best,  and  full  of  good  cheer! 

I  am  now  rapidly  approaching  the  allotted 
time  for  man,  but  I  venture  the  assertion  that 


146  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

were  I  to  visit  any  city  or  even  small  town 
of  the  United  States  or  Canada,  I  could  see 
some  handsome  little  lad  or  lassie  leading  one 
of  Barnard's  Mike's  sons  or  daughters.  Small 
wonder  he  is  called  the  American  dog. 

The  celebrated  Dr.  Johnson  once  remarked 
that  few  children  live  to  fulfil  the  promise  of 
their  youth.  Our  little  aristocrat  of  the  dog 
world  has  more  than  done  so.  May  his  shadow 
never  grow  less ! 

I  feel  convinced  that  I  ought  to  take  this 
opportunity  to  record  my  kindly  appreciation 
of  the  generous  expressions  of  thanks  for  my 
efforts  on  behalf  of  the  dog.  They  have  come 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  from  all 
classes  of  people.  Were  it  in  my  power  I 
would  gladly  reply  to  each  individual  writer. 
This  is  impossible.  I  can  only  say,  "I  thank 
you!  May  God  bless  us,  one  and  all!" 


CHAPTER  XV. 


TECHNICAL    TERMS    USED    IN    RELA- 
TION TO  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER, 
AND   THEIR    MEANING. 


A  Cracker  jack — A  first  class,  typical  dog. 

A  Mut — A  worthless  specimen. 

A    Flyer — A   dog   capable   of   winning   in   any 

company. 

A  Weed — A  leggy,  thin,  attenuated  dog,  bred  so. 
A  Fake — A  dog  whose  natural  appearance  has 

been  interfered  with  to  hide  defects. 
A  Dope — A  dog  afflicted,  usually  with  chorea, 

that  has  had  cocain  administered  to  him  to 

stop  the  twitching  while  in  the  judging  ring. 
A  Ringer — A  dog  shown  under  a  false  name, 

that  has  previously  been  shown  under  his  right 

name. 
Apple-headed — Skull  round,  instead  of  flat  on 

top. 


148  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Broken-up  Face — Bulldog  face,  with  deep  stop 

and  wrinkle  and  receding  nose. 
Frog  or  Down  Face — Nose  not  receding. 
Dish-faced — One  whose  nasal  bone  is  higher  at 

the  nose  than  at  the  stop. 
Butterfly  Nose — A  spotted  nose. 
Dudley  Nose — A  flesh-colored  nose. 
Rose  Ear — An  ear  which  the  tip  turns  backward 

and  downward,  disclosing  the  inside. 
Button   Ear — An   ear  that   falls  over  in  front, 

concealing  the  inside. 

Tulip  Ear — An  upright,  or  pricked  ear. 
Blaze — The  white  line  up  the  face. 

Cheeky — When  the  cheek  bumps  are  strongly 
defined. 

Occiput — The  prominent  bone  at  the  back  or  top 
of  the  skull,  noticeably  prominent  in  blood- 
hounds. 

Chops — The  pendulous  lips  of  the  bulldog. 

Cushion — Fullness  in  the  top  lips. 

Dewlap — The  pendulous  skin  under  the  throat. 

Lippy — The  hanging  lips  of  some  dogs,  who 
should  not  possess  same,  as  in  the  bull  ter- 
rier. 

Layback — A  receding  nose. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  149 

Pig- jawed — The  upper  jaw  protruding  over  the 
lower;  an  exaggeration  of  an  undershot  jaw. 

Overshot — -The   upper   teeth   projecting  beyond 
the  lower. 

Undershot — The  lower  incisor  teeth  projecting 
beyond  the  upper,  as  in  bulldogs. 

Wrinkle — Loose,  folding  skin  over  the  skull. 

Wall  Eye — A  blue  mottled  eye. 

Snipy — Too  pointed  in  muzzle;  pinched. 

Stop — The  indentation  between  the  skull  and 
the  nasal  bone  near  the  eyes. 

Septum — The  division  between  the  nostrils. 

Leather — The  skin  of  the  ear. 

Expression — The  size  and  placement  of  the  eye 
determines  the  expression  of  the  dog. 

Brisket — That  part  of  the  body  in  front  of  the 
chest  and  below  the  neck. 

Chest — That  part  of  the  body  between  the  fore- 
legs, sometimes  called  the  breast,  extending 
from  the  brisket  to  the  body. 

Cobby — Thick  set;  low  in  stature,  and  short 
coupled;  or  well  ribbed  up,  short  and  com- 
pact. 

Couplings — The  space  between  the  tops  of  the 
shoulder  blades,  and  the  tops  of  the  hip  joints. 
A  dog  is  accordingly  said  to  be  long  or  short 
"in  the  couplings." 


150  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Deep  in  Brisket — Deep  in  chest. 

Elbows — The  joint  at  the  top  of  forearm. 

Elbows  Out — Self-explanatory;  either  congeni- 
tal, or  as  a  result  of  weakness. 

Flat-sided— Flat  in  ribs;  not  rounded. 

Forearm — The  foreleg  between  the  elbows  and 
pastern. 

Pastern— The  lower  section  of  the  leg  below  the 

knee  or  hock  respectively. 
Shoulders — The  top  of  the  shoulder  blades,  the 

point  at  which  a  dog  is  measured. 
Racy — Slight  in  build  and  leggy. 
Roach-back — The  arched  or  wheel  formation  of 

loin. 

Pad — The  underneath  portion  of  the  foot. 
Loins — The  part  of  body  between  the  last  rib 

and  hindquarters. 

Long  in  flank — Long  in  back  of  loins. 
Lumber — Unnecessary  flesh. 

Cat-foot — A  short,  round  foot,  with  the  knuckles 
well  developed. 

Hare-foot — A  long,  narrow  foot,  carried  for- 
ward. 

Splay-foot — A  flat,  awkward  forefoot,  usually 
turned  outward. 

Stifles — The  upper  joint  of  hind  legs. 


THE  BOSTON  TERRIER  151 

Second  Thighs — The  muscular  development 
between  stifle  joint  and  hock. 

The  Hock— The  lowest  point  of  the  hind  leg. 

Spring — Round,  or  well  sprung  ribs;  not  flat. 

Shelly — Narrow,  shelly  body. 

Timber — Bone. 

Tucked  Up — Tucked  up  loin,  as  seen  in  grey- 
hounds. 

Upright  Shoulders — Shoulders  that  are  set  in 
an  upright,  instead  of  an  oblique  position. 

Leggy — Having  the  legs  too  long  in  proportion 
to  body. 

Stern — Tail. 

Screw  Tail — A  tail  twisted  in  the  form  of  a 
screw. 

Kink  Tail — A  tail  with  a  break  or  kink  in  it. 

Even  Mouthed — A  term  used  to  describe  a  dog 
whose  jaws  are  neither  overhung  nor  under- 
hung. 

Beefy — Big,  beefy  hind  quarters. 

Bully — Where  the  dog  approaches  the  bulldog 

too  much  in  conformation. 
Terrier  Type— Where  the  dog  approaches   the 

terrier  too  much  in  conformation. 
Cow-hocked — The  hocks  turning  inward. 
Saddle-back — The   opposite   of   roach-back. 


152  THE  BOSTON  TERRIER 

Lengthy — Possessing  length  of  body. 

Broody — A  broody  bitch;  one  whose  length  of 
conformation  evidences  a  likely  mother;  one 
who  will  whelp  easily  and  rear  her  pups. 

Blood — A  blood;  a  dog  whose  appearance  de- 
notes high  breeding. 

Condition — Another  name  for  perfect  health, 
without  superfluous  flesh,  coat  in  the  best  of 
shape,  and  spirits  lively  and  cheerful. 

Style — «Showy,  and  of  a  stylish,  gay  demeanor. 

Listless — Dull  and  sluggish. 

Character — A  sub-total  of  all  the  points  which 
give  to  the  dog  the  desired  character  associ- 
ated with  his  particular  variety,  which  differ- 
entiates him  from  all  other  breeds. 

Hall-mark — That  stamp  of  quality  that  distin- 
guishes him  from  inferior  dogs,  as  the  ster- 
ling mark  on  silver,  or  the  hall-mark  on  the 
same  metal  in  England. 


